Two is better than one
by Meero94
Summary: She started out as the IT girl and ended up the only thing that could make his days slightly brighter, for even lonely heroes could use some normalcy and love in their lives. A collection of One-shots.
1. Game nights

**Hello everyone! So this's going to be a collection of one shots based on prompts from tumblr or ones I get here. They won't be related to each other, and some of them will be short drabbles.**

**This right here is the first prompt I've ever filled and it's shameless fluff, so enjoy!**

**I didn't make this icon nor do I own it, credit goes to the awesome person who made it.**

**I also don't own Oliver Queen or Arrow but I constantly wish I do.**

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This wasn't going the way he wanted it to. He, the vigilante of Starling city, was losing.

He grits his teeth as he concentrates further on his task and moves his body, along with the handler he's clutching, just in time to avoid a fatal blow from his opponent.

"You're terrible at this" Comes her voice with a smug note to it and he's tempted to glare at her but opts to injure her player on screen instead –which doesn't work out as she moves the character away and wings her sword to lower his life points further.

"Whoa! Man, she's kicking your ass. Again." says Diggle from his spot on the couch and the amusement in his voice only serves to irritate Oliver further. He may be taking this a bit too seriously but he was never one to take well to losing.

"It's actually funny," muses Roy as he comes out of the kitchen with popcorn in one hand and Thea's hand held in the other "I could have sworn they had video games even seven years ago"

At that Felicity giggles and Thea just shakes her head at her boyfriend.

"You're not helping him like you any better," Thea stage whispers to Roy "by pointing out his rusty video game skills"

"Oh so now you're all ganging up on me," he says with raised eyebrows while his eyes remain fixed on the screen "I knew this game night was a bad idea"

The screen flashes as Felicity sends Oliver's player flying with a final blow and the game announces her as the winner. She does a little fist pump with Digg and Roy smirks at Oliver while Thea shakes her head in amusement.

"It's surprising how crappy you're with imaginary weapons," his sister muses "since you're good with real ones and all"

Oliver ignores her and turns to look at the blonde by his side.

"Another round" he demands and it draws a collective groan from his friends.

"That would be the fifth round," exclaims Roy "It's our turn."

"It's my apartment;" answers Oliver "my rules."

"_Our _apartment, "Corrects Felicity "and I get a say as well" she gently removes the handler out of his hands and kisses his cheek "give the other kids their turn and I'll take it easier on you next time"

As she talks, Oliver's gaze fixates to her rose colored lips and he has to fight the urge to kiss the teasing smile off of them, but he knows that he has time for that later and that he has to act offended at the moment; so kissing her wouldn't help make a point. Childish as it seemed, he simply sighed and gave over the controller with as much dignity as a sore loser could manage.

Later –much later- they sat alone against the couch with his arms around her waist and legs straddling her, while her back pressed to his front and her hands held the controller with his.

She moved her thumbs in a crazy dance above the buttons and he watched in fascination as his player whirled and jumped and _won _every round_. _He tried in vain to listen to her instructions as his chin rested on her shoulder but after a while he gave up and let her soft voice lull him into relaxing. It got him a smack once his hands got too heavy on the controller and brought it down, messing up a move she was doing, so he gave her full control of the thing and settled for wrapping his arms around her and just watching.

Nights like those, where the house smelled like popcorn even hours after their friends left, where he fell asleep against a couch as Felicity muttered to the screen, were his favorite kind of nights. They were relaxed and filled with laughter as opposed to most other nights where he had to hood up and rid the streets of criminals. The vigilante always won against his enemies, so he didn't really mind losing a video game every now and then, no matter how hard he'd argue _her_ over it.

He smiles when she grins in triumph as she moves up another level then widens his smile when she looks back at him with excitement. She offers him a turn again but he shakes his head with the smile still present and tells her to go on. He'd much rather watch her as she plays.

Closing his eyes, he kisses her temple and nuzzles his face against her neck. He could practically feel her smiling even with his eyes closed and that's enough to send him to sleep with a smile.

Later, she'll get tired and curl against him with the game still running. Later, he'll wake up and carry her to their room as he does every Saturday. Tomorrow she'll tease him mercilessly, along with the three others, about video game scores and rusty skills. Next week they'll repeat it all, all over again.

He honestly can't wait.

**A/N: I know that was short but I hope you liked it, and I hope the person who gave me this prompt is happy with the result. I'll be posting more here soon and I'd love to see your prompts in reviews so don't hesitate to give me them.**

**Please review and tell me what you think.**


	2. First dates come last (The wrong order)

**Hello everyone! So, first of all thanks a billion for the reviews, prompts and follows, it all means a lot. And to my readers from "Open your eyes" *waves* hello again! I was so excited to see the familiar names, you guys are as awesome as ever.**

**So this one-shot kinda got out of hand. I had a 900-words-****approximately **fic in mind but then the thing kept writing itself and I'm still not sure how that happened. 

**Anyway,this is for a prompt by the lovely quisinart4 and I hope you like it.**

**I didn't own Arrow yesterday. I still don't own it today.**

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There was something different about her tonight. He had noticed as much the moment she stepped into the lair with her hair down and curled, wearing a fancy blouse he's never seen before and carrying a little plastic bag –which he may have peeked into- that has heels in it.

He thought that maybe she was heading to some party later or meeting a friend so he didn't, or at least tried not to, give it much thought.

However, when she asked to leave early a few hours later he couldn't help but ask. He really shouldn't have.

"So.. you have plans?" questioned Oliver with his back turned to her as he examined an arrow. He had already gone out as the Hood once today in daylight, out of necessity, and wasn't planning on going out again. The arrow he held was an excuse to not look at her. She did look pretty with her hair down. Well, not that she ever looked anything other than pretty to him, but he wasn't supposed to think that.

"Um, yes" came her response from behind and he could tell that she's fiddling with something "Plans. Something like that."

He turned around to find her putting on the heels she brought. He opened his mouth to inquire further but Diggle fortunately beat him to it.

"And do those plans by any chance include a guy?" Diggle had his arms crossed and was leaning against a table. He looked like a protective father sending off his little girl on a date. Oliver wished the same could be said about him but that wasn't the case. He actually felt the muscles in his abdomen tighten at the mention of some _guy _and his expression shuttered completely as not to betray his discomfort.

"Maybe," answered Felicity with a shrug "a bit. Yes. But you're not running a background check on him this time. That's a mistake I'm never repeating"

"It saved you from a possible criminal last time" muttered Oliver, and Felicity gave up on her shoe's clasp and whipped her head to stare at Oliver in disbelief.

"A possible criminal?" exasperation was obvious in her tone "He had a speeding ticket! One!"

"That's still against the law," Diggle pointed out but he was giving Oliver a warning look, as if to say _don't push it._

Felicity scoffed then went back to clasping her heels. "I hacked my way into police records and a military base's system for the both of you," she points at each in turn "so if anyone should be scared, it's _him _of _me_"

"You should still tell us his name at least," tried Oliver "just a precaution"

"No I really shouldn't," Diggle opened his mouth but Felicity raced on to finish her sentence "and nor will I tell you where I'm going either. Don't try."

"This is absurd," said Oliver "you're being careless" and he knew very well that he she really wasn't and that he's definitely overreacting but he just couldn't stop himself.

"Alright, so.. Fun fact" Felicity said over cheerfully "I've been out with him once before, so I already know he's not a serial killer" she looked away guiltily as both guys stared in shock.

"That's good then" said Diggle as Oliver exclaimed "What!" at the same time. All three of them looked at each other a bit awkwardly until Digg cleared his throat.

"What Oliver means is why didn't you tell us? We have a policy of checking everyone before we date them" he gave her a meaningful look then added "remember Oliver's psycho ex girlfriend?"

Felicity nodded warily at that but Oliver stood in stoic silence. A second date. That sounded serious. Was it serious? Maybe it was. _Maybe she's getting a boyfriend then_, he thought. And maybe that's a good thing and he should be happy for her. He really should. So why isn't he?

"I'll check him up myself next time," agreed Felicity "but I'm not running to you every time I meet someone, guys. I already have one father."

Felicity's tone was gentle but firm and both guys nodded simultaneously, although Diggle looked normal while Oliver's eyes had storms raging in them.

"I should go." Said Felicity as she got up "I can't be late, I still need to get a cab to my place since I came here with Digg" she worried her lip between her teeth at the thought and Oliver had to turn away from the sight. This isn't the time to think of kissing anyone. Especially not the girl headed to a date right now. A girl who happened to be a friend and someone he worked with. A girl with a babbling mouth and a great personality. The girl whose smile lit up his days, and the one he made an extra effort to be slightly funny around; so he could get a glimpse of that smile. The girl he most definitely was _not _in love with. Not a little bit, not at all.

"I'll drive you," he offered off handedly "I was leaving anyway. You don't have to get a cab"

"Oh," Felicity smiled "thanks that would be great!"

As they left, Diggle shook his head at their retreating backs and gave an inaudible sigh; _this was getting ridiculous. _

The car ride went smoothly and silently. Oliver's mind whirled with thoughts he shouldn't be having but he kept his cool and didn't let any of it show, while next to him, Felicity fiddled with her bag and pretended not to notice his rigid posture. She knew him too well.

Once they slowed down to a stop in front of her building, Oliver killed the engine and gave her a sidelong glance. It eerily felt like he was dropping her off after a date rather than dropping her off to go on one. With another guy. The thought made him internally groan.

"So.." Felicity broke the silence "thanks for dropping me off, it's a nightmare getting a cab far from the club without getting seen."

"Sure," Oliver answered flatly "you're welcome"

"I should go since we're here and –" Felicity trailed off as she gestured in the general direction of her house and Oliver nodded.

"Yes, can't be late for the date" He regretted the words the second they left his mouth, and the fact that they sounded bitter didn't escape him either.

"Are you still mad about the background check?" Felicity sighed "You really shouldn't worry; I already –"

"Went out with him once, yes, I got that" He's being a jerk. He knows that and he wishes she'd just tell him as much and get out of the car but instead she stares at him with a weird expression on her face that would have any other guy squirming in discomfort. He just stares back.

"If this is really about legal stuff and potential criminals," she says with raised eyebrows "then I'd like to inform you that I spend most of my days with Starling's city most wanted, so again, I wouldn't worry about a speeding ticket or even a small robbery. Not that Nathan has ever robbed anything. Nothing that I know of anyway. Not that he may have because he's a nice guy –" She groans "Okay scratch that last part. You get my point"

"I do" He confirms.

"But you still look like I'm going off to war," she muses "so it's not really about my safety… it's something else" she cocks her head to the side with a thoughtful expression he recognizes too well "but what is it?"

He's tempted to nod along for her to get to the conclusion but also to deny everything she's saying –or thinking- and to pretend none of this ever happened. He just waits for her to figure it out.

"Wait" her eyes widen "you can't be…" she looks at him then away "No.. no. That's stupid" she shakes her head "Very stupid. Wishful thinking stupid" her head snaps in his direction and she blushes "oh my god please tell me I didn't say that out loud"

His lips twitch in amusement but he sounds serious as he asks "Wishful thinking on what?"

She's still blushing as she shakes her head and reaches for the door but his hand grabs her right arm to block the movement and the air suddenly feels charged and very much alive.

"What were you going to say?" He doesn't mean for his voice to come out a whisper but it does. "Tell me, Felicity" Her name comes out a soft caress from his mouth and she shivers. She didn't notice until now just how close they were. She didn't notice that he was fully turned towards her and that his breath brushed her cheek every time he spoke. Their lips were literally a breath away. All she had to do is lean a bit further and she'd be kissing him.

"Jealous" she blurted out then bit down her lip. Now she's done it. She wanted to bring up her arms and cover her face but his hand was still clutching hers and the skin where they touched _burned_.

Felicity expected Oliver to laugh at her or shout in anger. She expected a lecture on them being friends or a pitying let down where everything becomes awkward afterwards.

What she didn't expect however, was for Oliver to lean down slowly until his lips brushed hers. He gave her time to move back or pull away but she only moved closer. Until they were kissing properly. Until the gap between them closed and she was practically straddling him in the driver's seat. Until dates were forgotten and thoughts of any other guy melted away. Until they were both panting for breath and smiling like fools in love. Which, by the way, they were.

And that's how, many years later, when Felicity tells the story of her first kiss with her husband, she'll give thanks to Nathan –the guy she was supposed to meet- and Oliver would try to look offended and assure her that he would have kissed her anyway… eventually.

He'd also deny ever being jealous, as she shakes her head, and assure the kids that "_daddy was only looking out for your mommy. No jealousy. Not a drop of it." _And they'd all laugh as Diggle rolls his eyes and Felicity mouths "liar".

Felicity would also joke that they got the order of things all messed up; falling in love _then_ kissing and going on a first date after that. But they were never ones for order and as love stories went, she reckoned theirs went pretty well.

After all, she wouldn't change a single line of it.

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**A/N: So how did we go from jealous!Oliver/date-night to married Olicity? I have no idea. None whatsoever, but I really hope you liked the outcome. **

**You can leave me prompt in reviews or on tumblr (If you happen upon my fics there) and I'll be grateful and get to them asap.**

**Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think. **

**Review! **


	3. On vigilantes and babies

**Hello! Another fluffly fic and guess what? this one has a baby! This is written for both a prompt on tumblr and one here by Lil5weetie I hope you like it!**

**As usual you're always amazing with your support and every review you give puts a smile on my face, so thanks!**

**Let's face it; I'll never own Arrow. You read, I'll cry. **

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He should have never let her talk him into this. This is crazy. He's a vigilante, a wanted criminal; he deals with drug dealers and snipers and the Russian mafia… not with babies.

He sighs as he raises his hand to knock the door and hesitates once again. He's done this same movement three times so far without actually knocking. He reckons that he could always turn around and leave. Tell Felicity that something came up and that he's really sorry but despite his promise to help, he can't make it.

A tiny giggle reaches him through the door and he feels somewhat ashamed. He had faced one of the biggest drug dealers in Starling city earlier today by making his way through no less than twenty guards and putting an arrow in their leader's head. He can't let a little girl scare him. That's just silly.

With another sigh, he finally knocks the door.

A few moments later his best friend opens the door with a small smile, stained pajamas and messy hair.

"Oliver!" says Felicity "thank god, I thought you were bailing on me. Come on in" he takes the invitation and goes into the house without bothering to confirm that yes, he almost bailed on her.

"Sorry if I'm late," he followed her to the living room "is the kid here yet?"

"Her name is Emily," said Felicity as she pointed at a little girl sitting by the couch "and her mom just left half an hour ago"

The girl in question looked to be about one or two years old at most. She had brown curls brushing the tip of her chin and chubby cheeks. She turned from her spot to stare at Oliver with bright green eyes and he could feel his heart warming ever so slightly.

"She's been acting well so far," smiled Felicity "aside from throwing a bottle of baby food down my shirt," that explained the stain "and turning my hair band into a toy" and the messy hair "she's been a little angel"

Felicity scooped the kid up into her arms as she talked and brought her closer to Oliver the way adults usually did with babies. As if they were proud that such little creatures existed and wanted to show them off to others. He felt a bit nervous as she turned her back slightly so he could look the baby, who had her head resting on Felicity's shoulder, in the face.

_This is weird,_ Oliver decided as he lowered himself to be level with the baby's face. He didn't need to be here. Felicity was scared that she won't be able to manage her niece all on her own, but the girl is obviously a quiet thing, and Oliver isn't exactly experienced so there was no need for him to stay. Maybe he could just leave now. Or maybe he'll just stay a bit longer.

"Hello there," Oliver murmured to the kid "Emily is it?" the girl smiled and he realized she recognizes her name "how old is she?"

"A year and a half," answers Felicity "she's a bit shy around strangers, but she can walk and um, make sounds. No talking yet, though" At that Emily straightened up in her aunt's arms and wriggled to look at the TV that viewed some dancing reptile.

"I should go make her something to eat," Said Felicity as she followed the kid's gaze to the TV "here you hold her" she offered " and just make sure she doesn't go near anything that could fall on her if you put her down."

Oliver had a mini heart attack as Felicity spoke the words and he tried to tell her that _no, _he can't hold the baby. He'll drop it. _Her_. She's too small and he's used to carrying weapons and weights but not fragile, tiny creatures.

However, he couldn't get any of that out because Felicity practically shoved the kid into his arms and he had no choice but to take her.

"This is a _very _bad idea," argued Oliver as he held the girl with one arm under her knees and another wrapped at her waist "I'm going to drop her."

"Doesn't look like it to me," shrugged Felicity as she shook her arms and headed to the kitchen "I was actually about to tell you how to hold her right, but you're already doing it" she pointed out "ugh I can't feel my arm, I swear" she muttered.

Ignoring the last part, Oliver shook his head and followed after her. "Just because I know how to hold her doesn't mean I won't drop her," the kid now looked up at him with a shy smile as he talked and it made it slightly harder to argue "and you said I'll just have to watch something with you so you don't get bored," his hand came up instinctively to stroke Emily's hair once she laid her head on his shoulder "there was nothing about holding babies, just the fact that there will be one you're watching."

"I said," Felicity had a bottle in one hand and a spoon in the other. "That I won't make you change diapers. And I won't!" she walked around the kitchen as she talked "We'll watch a movie in a bit, we just have to feed her and put her to sleep first"

Well that sounded simple enough. Or so they both thought.

An hour later, the angelic, shy little girl turned into a red cheeked blubbering mess. Neither one of them knew how that happened.

Everything was going alright; the kid giggled as Oliver tickled her and then took her milk only after the third attempt on Felicity's part. They let her dance when the purple reptile started singing and they even took a few pictures of her doing so and sent them to her mom. It was all going very well. Until bedtime came.

The moment Felicity brought out the portable baby crib after changing Emily into her purple PJs, all hell broke loose. The sweet little thing started whimpering at first. Then a few tears leaked. And once Felicity stroked her hair and lowered her into the crib, she started outright wailing.

That was ten minutes ago and the high pitched crying hasn't stopped ever since. Oliver reckoned that the entire building could hear her.

"What do I do?" exclaimed Felicity who was rocking the crib back and forth with one hand and offering Emily her favorite toy with the other.

"Check her diaper?" Oliver stood a few feet back and wouldn't come any closer. Tears weren't his division and neither was crying babies. He honestly couldn't get any closer in fear of glimpsing the child's tear-stained cheeks.

"Already did that," Felicity sounded on the verge of tears herself "she's clean! She's fed and changed and I have no idea what to do. This doesn't normally happen, Oliver." She cast him a panicked look over her shoulder then turned again to Emily "I always know what to do but she has no off buttons or a system I can hack into. Oh my god!"

Oliver frowned as Felicity finished her little rant then started breathing a bit heavier. It would do them no good if she hyperventilated right now. He could hardly deal with a crying Emily, let alone a freaked out Felicity as well.

Taking a deep breath, Oliver crossed the room and crouched next to Felicity. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her to face him –The movement forcing her hands away from the crib and leaving them to hang limply at her sides.

"How about you go drink some water," he offered her his best comforting smile "and I'll try dealing with the baby?" before she could protest, he raised a hand to brush her cheek gently and whispered "I used to help mom with Thea. A little bit. That's how I knew the right way to hold Emily earlier"

Felicity opened her mouth to speak then closed it twice. In the end she settled for giving him a grateful smile and getting up. As she headed for the kitchen, Oliver reached for the crying child and held her with her head laid against his chest. He stood up and started walking in a rhythmic way while humming a song he knew a long time ago.

Emily clutched his shirt in her baby fists and started calming down a bit. Halfway through the song, her eyes were closed and her breaths ruffled her curls.

"She's asleep!" Came Felicity's whisper "I can't believe you got her to sleep" her expression was comical and Oliver would have been offended if he wasn't just as surprised that the singing worked.

"Guess my voice isn't as horrible as I thought" He whispered back with a grin.

"Guess not" muttered Felicity who was, for some reason, slightly blushing.

The rest of the night went uneventful as they took turns checking on the baby and started the movie they planned on watching. Although halfway through it, Felicity's sister showed up and thanked them both for watching her daughter.

"I'll take her and leave you two alone now," Felicity's sister winked as she opened the door "her dad is waiting for us downstairs."

"We're not.." Oliver cleared his throat and shot Felicity, who was blushing a deep crimson, a glance "er, together"

"No. Not together." Confirmed Felicity "Oliver is my _friend" _she emphasized the word and her sister rolled her eyes although she looked amused "just like I told you earlier."

So they were discussing him earlier. _Interesting, _he thought.

"Yeah sure, whatever you say," Emily was stirring in her mother's arms and the woman leaned down to kiss her hair "it's just that you two seem to be good with kids and you do look cute together," she shamelessly pointed out "You can get one of your own too," she grinned as she pointed at her sleeping daughter "better with three, eh?"

Felicity, whose face practically burned by now, all but shoved her sister out of the door after that. The older woman simply winked at them both before leaving.

"I'm so _so _sorry about that," Felicity still held the door open and wouldn't meet his eyes. It was obvious that he's not welcome anymore "my sister has made it her life's mission to embarrass me ever since high school."

"It's alright," Oliver said as he crossed the threshold then turned to look at Felicity. "I have a sister as well," it earned him a smile but still no eye contact "If it's any help, I think she's right about us being good with kids." Felicity's head whipped up before he finished his sentence but once he did, she lowered her eyes again and the blush returned. He knew exactly what she thought he was going to say, and it made him smile how disappointed she looked when he didn't say it.

"So I better go," he rubbed the back of his neck and hesitated a moment before offering "but we never got to finish that movie," Felicity looked up at him slowly. "So maybe we can get to it again sometime later? Say, tomorrow night. No babysitting or interruptions." He continued.

This could have been a friend's invite to watch a movie, which is normal because friends did that all the time. Except after two years of dancing around their feelings, Oliver decided that he didn't mean it that way. His gaze dropping to her lips made that pretty clear, but just to make sure he added "call it a date."

"A date?" she repeated. A little stunned.

"A date" he smiled.

"Fine," she bit her lip "um, sure, yes." It seemed like she didn't know what to do with her hands so she opted to fiddle with the handle then blurted out "Okay then. You should go now before I say something stupid to ruin the moment" she squeezes her eyes shut "which I think I just did"

His lips twitch in amusement but he leans down and kisses her cheek without remarking on the little rant.

"Goodnight, Felicity"

"Goodnight, Oliver."

The last he glimpses of her before she shuts the door are her pink cheeks and smiling lips.

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**A/N: Don't even ask how I ended the fic that way. My fics tend to always write their own endings and I have a thing for making Olicity a couple even when I didn't plan on it *sighs* anyway, I hope you liked it!**

**All this sweetness is giving me cavities, so I'm tempted to write Angst for next chapter since it's more my zone... Although we can always avoid that if you gave me more prompts (I need more of those). Sooo yep I'm shamelessly blackmailing you all into giving me prompts, so give me some in reviews and no one dies.. fic-wise, I mean. **

**Seriously though thanks for reading, you're awesome, and tell me what you think. **

**Review!**


	4. Not what it looks like

**Hello! This one-shot is what I consider a fun drabble. It was fun to write and if anyone seems OOC here, it's because I wanted to keep this light and funny. I'm still tempted to write angst but I'm enjoying the change so far.**

** Thanks for everyone who reviewed and followed the story so far, you guys keep me going.**

**I got the prompt for this chapter from InkPaperDoll488. Hope you like it!  
**

**I don't own any arrows. Or _the _Arrow, for that matter.**

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Felicity's face is definitely on fire. She could feel the flush all the way from her chest to the tips of her ears. And if she wasn't blushing at first, she sure as hell started to once Diggle walked in. Why is she blushing?

Well, it all started out innocently enough with Felicity coming to the training room to tell Oliver about an update she had. He was shirtless and sweating as he fired arrows at various moving targets. The moving targets were some of the many additions in the new lair. She had come up with the idea to save the lives of future tennis balls. It required a lot of technical work –and Diggle's help with construction- but the effort was worth it when Oliver saw them and smiled at her for the first time in months (It was a few months after Tommy's death and he wasn't doing a lot of smiling back then)

As she arrived to the room earlier, she had averted her eyes from his bare chest and thrust the documents she had found to his face.

"Just point out which one of those locations I should focus on," she said without looking at him "there are too many warehouses in each one. I can't check them all."

You'd think that a little over a year of working with him would have given her some kind of immunity to his muscled body and brilliant eyes, but no such luck. She still caught herself staring every now and then.

As Oliver skimmed the papers, she wandered around the room and fiddled with the various objects. The floor was scattered with all types of training mats and lifting weights. She was just thinking that it's dangerous having all those things lying around, since _someone _may trip on them, when her shoe caught onto something and she lost her balance. Her arms flailed to no avail in a desperate attempt to right herself.

She braced herself for impact and squeezed her eyes shut, knowing that she'll fall on one of the metal weights and probably crack her skull open. However, the only thing she felt was pressure around her waist then her head being lowered gently to the ground. She cracked her eyes open to find burning green ones staring at her.

Oliver looked torn between mild anger and amusement. His eyes were juggling the two emotions and she prayed that he'd settle for laughing at her; because an angry Oliver wasn't something she wanted to deal with at that moment.

"You could have gotten yourself killed," his voice was flat but she could still glimpse the amusement hiding in his face "what did we say about watching your feet around here?" He sounded like a cross parent and despite his serious tone, Felicity found him slightly funny.. and hot. He's hot when he's angry. Not that she'd ever admit it out loud.

_And this is so not the time for that. _She internally chastened herself. _Damn it, Felicity, focus!_

"You should be more careful," he continued without waiting for an answer "you're lucky I was standing close enough to reach you in time."

She opened her mouth to thank him but at that particular instant, his eyes widened ever so slightly and something shifted in his eyes. It took her a moment but she instantly realized why. It just occurred to her that he was still holding her down. His skin was warm were his arm wrapped around her waist, while his other hand supported his weight above her. His face hovered a few inches over hers and his legs and torso were pressing against hers. His pupils were mostly blacks and she knew exactly what that meant.

She had to get up now before she does something embarrassing like blushing. Because she was most definitely _not _blushing at the moment. Not even a little bit.

_Aha. Yep, right. _She heard a little mocking voice in her head.

Oliver's eyes momentarily flickered to her lips but before she could react to that or even move a muscle, the door opened and the situation got a whole lot worse.

"Oliver, there's –" Diggle's voice cut off and he groaned "Man, not in the training room." he shook his head as he looked away "don't you two have somewhere else to.. uh.. go?" And now she was most definitely blushing. A full body blush that started at her chest and burned all the way up to her hairline. She hated those most. She wasn't sure what was worse; Diggle's assumption that her and Oliver were actually doing _something_ or that he assumed they'd do that here.

Oliver moved too fast for her to see. One second he was practically lying on top of her and the next he was on his feet and offering her a hand to help her up. He didn't look at her –or at Diggle- as he pulled her up but she could swear that she saw a faint pink dusting his cheeks.

"This is _not _what it looks like," started Felicity "really. Not at all what you're thinking. Not even close." Oliver lowered his head as she spoke and rubbed the back of his neck. "I just tripped." She said helplessly.

"You tripped." Diggle repeated skeptically then crossed his arms "Let me get this straight. You tripped right into Oliver and then somehow you both ended up straddling each other?" his tone said that he was having way too much fun with this "Well, it's known to happen." He shrugged with a straight face and Felicity was going to kill him just for that. _The sarcastic ass._

She stared, speechless, at Diggle. Wondering what could one even say to that.

Oliver cleared his throat then shrugged. "Yes, something like that." He and Diggle exchanged a glance then his lips twitched at the corners. Felicity threw her arms up in exasperation.

"You two are impossible." her face would be permanently colored red if she blushed any harder. "This isn't funny" for once she was at a loss for words and didn't know what else to say, so she opted for snatching the folder –that now lay forgotten on the ground- and heading towards the door. "Clean up that mess before it gets someone killed" she gestured to the floor as she carefully watched her steps.

Once she left the room, she didn't step a foot again in it for a week.

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**I hope you found that slightly funny because I kinda grinned the whole way through it. Reviews would be most appreciated and if you give me a prompt I'll give you my firstborn child (I honestly don't know what you'd want that for) or food. I'd go for food. **

**Anyway, thanks for reading, you're all amazing. **

**Review!**


	5. Not hers

**Hello lovely readers! So this chapter is a very short one but it was either this or no update today so I figured _why not_. A fair warning that this isn't fluff or a happy chapter, but give it a shot because I don't consider it to be angst either. It's just a look into Felicity's head after an unpleasant event. It's a bit sad. Just a bit. **

**No prompts this time, just something I had in mind... which may or may not be the product of a bad day.**

** Enjoy!**

**I'd make Olicity happen if I owned Arrow. They still didn't happen, so I obviously don't. **

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Her eyes blur as she replies the scene in her head once again. It's not like she wasn't used to seeing him with other girls. It's just the she's never walked in on him kissing any of them before.

She settles down on her couch with an ice cream pint and sweatpants, trying hard to distract herself with the movie she rented. She made sure it's romance-free when she got it, but for some reason that wasn't exactly helping.

Realizing that she looked like every cliché of a girl with a broken heart ever, she gave up on the current movie and started "A walk to remember" instead. She figured that if she's going to cry, then she may as well do it properly.

Two years. That's how long she's been in love with him. Two years in which he had dated a dozen different women and casually went home with twice as many in the least. Not that she was counting. She didn't exactly keep tap on it or give it much mind but when you spend so much time with someone, you start noticing when they show up in last night's clothes.

Many times she saw him preparing for various dates with different women. All of them prettier, taller, _better _than her. She knew that none of those women were IT dorks or babbling freaks. She knew that none of them would ever be friend zoned the way she is. And it killed her a little each time she thought about it, but she still smiled when he looked at her and joined Diggle in teasing him when it came to girlfriends. Laughing at the nicknames and smothering her hopes.

Although she'd never admit it, she's always had hope that one day he'd finally look at her differently. Sometimes she even imagined he did. In fleeting moments where their eyes met or their hands brushed –she imagined that an electric current went through the both of them. And yet those moments were so swift and so far in between that she wrote them off as wishful thinking.

She kept those moments to herself. Taking them out and studying them secretly at night then tucking them back in before she sleeps; always pretending, in the morning, that they were never there to begin with.

However, she didn't allow them to hold her back or affect her work; she still dated two or three guys over the past two years –if very shortly- and she still did a remarkable job at the lair.

She learnt to keep her feelings bottled up and guarded since the very first time she met Laurel. _Gorgeous Laurel. _She remembers clearly the sinking feeling in her stomach when she first laid eyes on her and how she covered it up with mad hand gestures and a babbling mouth. She had vowed that day to never make a fool of herself that way again. To hold her tongue around the women in his life and not look bemused while doing so.

Ignoring that memory in favor of the new one, she takes a big bite of ice cream and curses her awful timing. She also curses her computer and the man she was looking up today. If he hadn't been so skilled at hiding she wouldn't have had to research him for hours and she wouldn't have been so excited when she finally got the info. She wouldn't, most definitely, have burst into Oliver's office without knocking either.

Entirely the situation had been pretty horrible but not _that_ embarrassing –or so she tells herself- since the woman with Oliver was sitting on top of his desk with her back to the door. The woman didn't so much as flinch or look behind when the door opened but Oliver's head whipped up, causing the woman's lips to move on to his jaw, and he stared at Felicity with wide eyes. It took her a second but she somehow managed to shuffle back in a trance, close the door, then fly down the stairs and into the bathroom.

An hour later she had apologized to Oliver, who looked slightly guilty, with a forced and stopped his attempts at saying anything.

"_Don't." _she had said without looking at him. "_I'll start knocking and it won't happen again. Promise."_

She sighs loudly when her eyes blur again as the image of him with flushed cheeks and blown pupils plays over and over in her mind. He had looked heartbreakingly gorgeous –And not at all hers_. _She figures he'll never be.

That night Felicity goes to bed with puffy eyes and red cheeks. She knows that she'll go into the lair with a smile tomorrow and act as if nothing ever happened but for tonight –_just for tonight- _she allows herself the tears.

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**A/N: For some reason I feel slightly guilty for posting this (sorry Felicity.. and readers). **

**We'll be back to fluffy chapters pretty soon and I'm still taking prompts. In the meantime tell me what you think about this chapter or I'll think that you hate me too much to review. **

**Thanks for reading lovely people! **

**Review!**


	6. Burning up

**Hello lovely people! So I realize that this update is a bit late but my week has been pretty bad and that's putting it kindly, so no inspiration to write, but I somehow managed this one tonight. Yay!**

**Your response to last chapter was remarkable and it made me happy that you guys appreciate the angst as much as the fluff so thanks for that. To make up for last chapter, Oliver is being extra sweet here to a sick Felicity. **

**This was a prompt on tumblr that a great friend suggested I should use. You know yourself hon, this chapter goes to you. **

**I'm running out of funny disclaimers. Until I think of new ones, let's clarify one thing: this is a disclaimer.**

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Her skin was a shade paler today. Her hair slightly messier, steps a bit heavier. He knew that something was wrong the moment her forehead touched the surface of her computer table. She sighed, as if finally relieved, and brought her arms up to encircle her lowered head.

It took him a moment of debate to lay down his unused bow and push back his hood. She looked really tired and the city could wait. He changed back into regular clothes then went to her.

Crouching by her side, he brought up a hand to brush her hair away. The movement stirred her and she turned to look at him sideways while a small smile crossed her lips. It looked strained.

"Hey," he murmured and her tired eyes closed. "You alright?"

"M'fine," She muttered. He knew she was lying; her voice sounded scratchy. "Weren't you leaving?" She managed one eye open to give him a questioning look.

"I was," He confirmed, his hand moving to rest upon her forehead. "but I'm not anymore." He frowned. "You're burning up, did you know that?"

"Yeah," She swatted his hand away and he noticed her flushed cheeks. It could be due to the fever, or his touch –he hoped for the latter. "but it's not bad, just a little fever." She shrugged nonchalantly despite the obvious effort it took.

"No nonsense or arguing," he ignored everything she just said. "Get up, you look like hell. You're going home."

"Nooooo" she whined "I have work to finish!" she straightened up, causing him to raise his eyes without changing his position. "You can give me some of your magical herbs," she offered "bet they'd do the trick."

"I'm afraid it doesn't work that way," he said with amusement. "you'll have to settle for the old ways of soup and medicine."

"That's outrageous," she grinned "Primal!" but her good spirits were soon brought down by a fit of coughing.

Oliver flew to the mini fridge they have and got her a bottle of water but instead of drinking, she pressed the cool surface to her forehead; sighing when Oliver raised his eyebrows.

"Okay," she offered "maybe I'm a little sick."

"A little?" He countered.

"Slightly more than I thought." She said with a nod.

"You're not getting up alone, are you?" A smile was forming on his lips and Felicity hated –secretly loved- the sight of it. That smile meant trouble. "You won't leave."

"Nope," she crossed her arms. "Not moving."

"I'll carry you." His tone suggested seriousness but his eyes were shot with mischief.

"I'd like to see you tr-" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as his arms came up to scoop her from the chair.

He picked her up, one arm under her knees with the other behind her back, in one fluid movement. "Oh my god Oliver Queen put me down!" Her scratchy voice seemed to only amuse him and he shook his head. Her arms had instinctively gone to wrap around his neck when he picked her up, and she felt ridiculously like some Disney character in a fairy tale.

"Felicity, hold on to me tight." He whispered with a smile, echoing something he had said to her long ago.

"These are more the circumstances I had in mind back then" She muttered and he smirked.

"Not platonic at all" He teased. Not dignifying him with a response, she tightened her grip and started to talk again.

"Okay you made your point," exasperation now colored her voice as he headed towards the stairs. "I'll go home and rest, just put me down." He walked effortlessly as if she weighed nothing, ignoring her pleas.

"You'll get back here the moment I'm out," he said "_we _will go home and we'll make sure you're well rested. Diggle can take care of the vigilante's work."

Diggle was coming down the stairs and caught the ending of Oliver's sentence. His eyebrows rose, either at the words or their position, and he gave them both an amused smile.

They met halfway through the staircase and Felicity's face wasn't burning due to the fever anymore.

"What are you kids up to?" Diggle asked casually, as if seeing your boss carrying his IT girl up a flight of stairs is an everyday event.

"I'm taking one sick girlfriend, who refuses to admit she's sick, back home." Felicity hid her face in the crock of his neck with a sigh. She was going to kill him for this.

Noticing the bags in Diggle's hands, Oliver asked. "What do you have there?"

"No girlfriends," Diggle raised the bags with a smirk. "just take-out food. A man needs his priorities sorted."

"You can put me down now," Felicity protested halfheartedly. She really was tired and walking didn't seem appealing in the least. "I can walk."

"I should go," Oliver, once again ignoring her, nodded towards the door. "she's getting warmer" His lips momentarily brushed her hair and he sounded worried.

"_She _is right here and can hear you." Grumbled Felicity, who was indeed, feeling the heat seeping into her eyes as well as her body. Her eyes burned when she blinked.

"Alright then," said Diggle as he moved down the stairs after getting a quick summary on what he had to do. "I'll tell you when I'm out. You take care of Snow white and try not to catch anything yourself."

"That reference made no sense." Felicity shouted after Diggle's descending back, earning a chuckle from him and a fond smile from her 'prince charming'. Who refused to put her down even as they walked towards her car and answered the curious looks they got with an icy glare that said _stay out of my business. _

An hour later Felicity was fed and medicated with a cold cloth lying on her forehead. He had made her some honeyed drink for her throat –which she appreciated but drank begrudgingly. Once she was nursed to his liking, he had kissed her softly and came to lay by her side on the couch.

"You're going to wake up sick," she murmured as her head rested on his chest. "you really should go back to the lair. I can take care of myself."

"You trying to get rid of me Ms. Smoak?" his hand twirled her hair and she could hear his smile.

"I'm just saying. You'll be sick and I'll get to play doctor." Looking up and noticing his lips twitching made her go over her words then groan. A fever could be cured but a babbling mouth was a lost cause, she decided.

"Don't complain when you wake up coughing," she continued then poked his chest "and don't expect me to carry you anywhere."

She felt his chest rumble with laughter and started grinning herself.

"Don't worry; I have a good immunity system." He said with confidence.

Two days later he woke up with flushed cheeks and a high temperature and she got to play doctor after all.

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**A/N: I hope that was fluffy enough to make up for last time and I hope you all liked it. **

**Reviews are always appreciated and so are prompts. I'm working on the ones I have and if I haven't gotten around to sending you a thank-you for a prompt then I'm sorry and thaaaanks, you rock! **

**Thanks for reading. Review!**


	7. Listen to the kids

**Hello everyone! Yes I do realize that this is late and I'm sorry but I've had another block (ugh) and it was awful. I have close to 15 half-finished drafts just sitting in my folders and somehow this is the only story I managed to finish. **

**This isn't for a prompt, I was just rewatching a movie that had a funny scene (a scene I rewrote here) and that scene kind of inspired this story. To all of you prompt givers, you're awesome and I'm sorry if I still haven't written your prompt. **

**Thanks to everyone for the constant reviews and support in general, you're all my light in cloudy days (it's 5 AM I have the right to be cheesy) **

**Thanks Sara for helping me look through baby-names' sites for this chapter, you're always perfect. **

**My life would be much easier if I owned Arrow. My life is hard and therefore I don't own it. Logic, people!**

**Enjoy!**

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The moment Oliver stepped into his house, he knew something was wrong. Right at the foot of the stairs, his daughters sat waiting with expectant expressions on their faces and he instantly had the feeling that he was forgetting something important.

"Daddy!" jumped his eldest to her feet with a shouted whisper then ran to him, followed closely by her little sister. "Did you get it? Where is it?" She looked between him and the living room's door urgently. "Come on, we have to hide the present before mommy comes out."

"What present?" He asked with puzzlement and saw the eleven year old widen her eyes in alarm, while the seven year old covered her mouth in exaggerated shock.

"Daaad," Amy's blue eyes narrowed behind her glasses in a way that reminded him of her mother. "please tell me you remembered." She was starting to chew her lip while Claire shook her head gravely.

Just as he opened his mouth to ask what they were both on about, Felicity walked out of the living room with a radiant smile on her face. She wore her hair in curls today and had swapped her glasses for medical contact lenses, and for some reason, she wore a beautiful long dress.

As she approached, both girls seemed to communicate something and Claire rushed to stand behind her mom while Amy wore a strained smile. He was definitely forgetting something.

Stopping just a few steps away, Felicity twirled once then turned to smile at him. "What do you think?" she asked.

"You look gorgeous." Oliver said with a hesitant smile. She did look gorgeous –as always- but he had no idea why she was dressed for occasion. Were they going somewhere?

Accepting his compliment with a slight smile, she titled her head to the side and eyed his outfit. "Shouldn't you get changed?" she asked. His daughter moved closer to him and tugged slightly at his sleeve.

"Yes I was wondering –" He ignored Amy's attempt at getting his attention in favor of looking at Felicity. "Are we going somewhere?"

The tugging only grew stronger and now seven year old Claire was doing a funny dance behind her mom. She jumped up and down to get her dad to look at her but to no avail.

"Oliver seriously," Felicity started to frown. "this isn't funny and we'll lose our reservation at the restaurant."

Oliver looked down at Amy for help and she nodded discretely at her sister. When Oliver's attention settled on the little one, she made her forefinger and thumb meet in a circle then proceeded to put her left hand's pinkie in and out of the circle. Besides him Amy made a comical expression at her sister then did a mini face palm. He had no idea what any of it meant.

Felicity was oblivious to the charade game going on. She stared at Oliver a second longer then lowered her eyes with a disappointed smile. "You forgot didn't you?" Felicity's voice was hurt and he figured that he's in big trouble. "We made the reservation a month ago and you just forgot about it." She shrugged, still not looking at him, and then forced a smile. "Well, no big deal. I'll call and cancel then. Must have been a busy day."

Oliver opened his mouth to ask again or apologize for whatever he forgot but before he could do anything Felicity looked up at him.

"Happy anniversary." She said, and then climbed up the stairs without another word.

_Oh shit. _

"No." Oliver said after his wife left the hallway. "No no _no_! Our anniversary is next week, I'm sure." He looked at his daughters, who both stood with their arms crossed, for confirmation.

"Next week is this week, daddy" sighed Amy. "I can't believe you forgot! We even made aunt Thea call to remind you."

Oliver frowned as he checked his mobile's calendar. He could have sworn that 20th of August is next week but his calendar seemed to disagree and so did Thea's unanswered call.

"I tried to warn you," said Claire as she sat on the lowest step of the stairs "I made a ring on a finger didn't I?" she said with her it's-not-my-fault-you're-an-idiot expression.

"Who on earth puts their wedding ring on their pinkie, Claire bear?" exclaimed Oliver and Amy muffled a giggle.

"And how am I supposed to know?" his daughter said with a haughty tone and threw her arms up in exasperation. "I'm only seven. I've never been married before!"

"She has a point," agreed Amy. "We can fix this; I bet mom didn't cancel anything yet." Her voice took on the same note Felicity's did when she had something planned. "You already ordered the gift like ages ago right?" Oliver nodded slowly.

"But I didn't pick it up, obviously." He elaborated and both girls sighed.

"Well then call uncle Diggle to get it," suggested Claire. "and tell him you'll give him cookies if he does."

Oliver almost grinned at that but Amy rolled her eyes the way older sisters did. "Yes call uncle Diggle and tell him, minus the cookies part, to get the gift and bring it here."

"I'm not even sure he's home yet," Oliver said guiltily as he dialed his friend of many years. "it'll be cruel to make him late." He felt bad about calling the other man but he needed to fix this somehow.

He had made the reservation and ordered the present so early in fear of forgetting, and still he forgot. Roy had been out after a particularly dangerous man all week, so both Diggle and Oliver decided to help him by taking extra hours at the lair and contacting old info sources. They finally caught the man today but it took them longer than expected and had him forgetting what day this is. It was no excuse but true all the same.

By some miracle Diggle picked up on third ring. He told Oliver that he was still out –getting takeout for dinner- and that _okay_ he'll head to the jeweler's for the gift.

"I'm dropping it off at the restaurant," said Diggle "assuming that your sorry ass will talk her into going still," he paused for a second then added "and I'll tell them you'll be half an hour late."

"Thank you," Oliver said in relief "you're a life saver."

"Just make sure you set this straight, man." Diggle sounded sympathetic for a second but Oliver could hear his smirk as he added "you owe me big, Queen."

"Noted." Oliver said then hung up.

"That's all settled then." Amy said with a nod at her father. "Now to phase-two of operation _save the anniversary"_ Oliver raised his eyebrows but knew better than to laugh. His daughter took her 'operations' seriously.

"Okay," She said as she went up the stairs and motioned for him to do the same. "Now we'll have to talk mom into not being too angry," he noticed that Claire had gone missing as they headed to the girls' rooms "and getting her to still go with you."

"And how are we going to do that?" The fact that he, Oliver Queen; previous vigilante of Starling city and current CEO of Queen industries, took marriage advice from two little girls wasn't lost on him. He reckoned that he honestly had no other choice at this point. It was either this or ruining it further.

"With flowers!" Came Claire's cheerful replay to his question. She emerged from her bedroom with a huge flower bouquet and a smile to match.

"Claire… Why are the flowers all bent?" Amy asked with seething calmness. For a second he could see more Oliver than Felicity in his little geek.

"They were under my bed," Claire looked thoughtfully at the flowers in her hand. "You told me to hide them."

"Who hides flowers under their bed!?" hissed Amy and Oliver's lips twitched at the entire exchange.

"Well I couldn't hide them under yours." Claire's green eyes turned stubborn as she jutted out her chin. "You would have been mad if I did that." She stated.

"That's not the point –" Amy started but Oliver cut her off.

"The flowers look great." he told both girls "But where did you get them?"

"Ever heard of the internet dad?" Amy, her mom's girl through and through, asked him. "I ordered them thinking you may forget the flowers –not the whole thing." She gave him an accusing look.

"Alright… Now to the hard part," Oliver said with a nervous smile, ignoring Amy's glare. "you two will have to help me out a bit. Talk to your mom first and then I'll go in. Say something nice to get her to smile. Say something good about your daddy" he looked pointedly at his youngest while saying the last part.

"You'll owe me ice cream" Claire matched his gaze with her own "lots and lots of ice cream. And a new toy." She bargained while Amy rolled her eyes.

"Alright," he took the flowers and nodded towards the main bedroom. "get your mommy smiling and you get whatever you want. Both of you." Amy just shook her head at that but Claire gave him a big grin. He mused that Amelia was mostly Felicity but Claire made up for that by being all him. The little one reminded him too much of his young self.

Once the girls went in, he stood at the door eavesdropping. They made it easy by talking loud enough for him to hear.

"Dad had everything ready since last week, mom" said Amy sincerely "he was just so busy he though this week is next week. Honest."

"Yes mommy," agreed Claire "he's just an idiot and forgot" she turned slightly to grin at the glaring man by the door. "It's really not his fault."

"Did your father tell you to say this?" Felicity was trying to sound stern but he could hear the amusement in her voice.

"Um… no?" said Amy hesitantly.

"Nope." Came Claire's confident answer.

He could make out the girls looking at each other briefly –they both stood across the door- then both saying "He's really sorry."

"You can come in, you know" called Felicity from somewhere inside the room. "don't let the girls do all your dirty work."

He sighed as he stepped into the room with the flowers raised like a shield. Felicity sat on their bed with her arms crossed, still wearing her dress and looking mildly irritated. He gave her his best expression of a kicked puppy then motioned for the girls to get out.

"I'm expecting those ice creams." Whispered Claire as she went by and he almost laughed right there.

"Oliver Queen, please tell me you didn't bribe our daughter with ice cream." Felicity bit her lip, clearly torn between smiling and looking mad, and he tried to look as apologetic as possible without bursting in laughter himself. "You could have at least promised something worthwhile like an entire ice cream cake." She finally cracked a smile, letting him know that he was already half forgiven.

After that it took apologies, an explanation, flirting, some promises and more sincere apologies to get her to fully smile but it was all worth it when she finally did.

Once he changed into clothes fitting the occasion they finally went out but with a slight alteration; they decided to take the girls along for dinner in appreciation of their hard work.

Needless to say, they had ice cream cake for dessert.

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**A/N: Sooo that was future married Olicity yay! I hope you guys found Kid!Olicity as funny as I did. I wanted to describe the girls more but this ended up much longer than I thought anyway so maybe we'll bring them back in future chapters instead -if you did like them- and explore their characters more. I personally loved writing Claire, a sassy little Queen is what I had in mind while writing her and I hope she delivered.**

**Just to be clear, I shouldn't be allowed near a laptop this late so whatever mistakes are up there in the story, I truly apologize for. It was all written, edited and posted between 2 and 5 AM.**

**Thanks for reading you awesome people, and tell me what you think of this chapter please. Did you like the girls? did you not like them? I'm waiting for your opinions!**

**Review!**


	8. Left behind

**Hello everyone! Soooo look who's still alive! Yeah I know it's been ages and I'm sorry, and I wish I could say I'll make it up with tons of chapters in a short time but that would be lying since my uni is back and all. Although I will try my best to post more often. **

**Thanks to everyone who reads my one-shots and still waits for them and I really hope this one doesn't ****disappoint. It's a bit different, no fluff, but a thought I've been toying with and one that I may make in a chaptered fic later on -assuming that you guys like it enough. **

**Tell me what you think and enjoy!**

**I was kidding all along I totally own an Oliver Green... he's made out of paper.. hanging on my wall..**

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It happened so long ago that sometimes she could completely forget about. Or at least pretend to. It was hard however, even for someone as stubborn as her, to ignore the reminder that was a daily part of her life –and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't even pretend to regret the outcome of the decision that brought her here.

She stares at her TV screen and sighs heavily for the third time since the news started. She tries to avert her eyes from the picture flashing across the screen but the piercing blue eyes are still there when she turns her head away from the TV. They're her daughter's eyes.

"_Oliver Queen, the multi-billionaire, and former CEO of Queen Consolidated is back to Starling city after spending 6 years away…."_

"Five years and ten months." corrects Felicity under her breath but the news reporter carries on undisturbed. "Finish your peas." She ignores the TV and points to her daughter's plate then proceeds to spear her own vegetables with a vengeance.

"But mommyyyyyy they don't taste yummy" whines the little girl, making her mother sigh in exasperation. Any other day, Felicity would have sweet talked her daughter into finishing her dinner, but with the title still flashing through Felicity's head, she just points at the plate again with raised eyebrows.

"No peas, no walking the dog." She allows a triumphant grin as the 5 year old slightly pouts then begrudgingly takes a bite.

Her grin is soon wiped clean as the story of how the Queen family –or at least the one remaining member of it- had left the city all these years ago is once again narrated on the news. She aims the controller at her screen and presses mute. She knows the story first hand.

Looking back, it never crossed Felicity's mind even once that Oliver could leave Starling city. Not even that one time he disappeared for five months tipped her off. She always thought that as The Hood, he'd want to stay around for as long as possible, and that even after that he'd still stay to help Roy take his place. That wasn't how things happened.

Three years after the Glades' incident Oliver had lost the only family member he truly had left. His sister. Thea Queen was kidnapped and killed due to her involvement with two of Starling's most wanted, she was The Hood's sister and Roy's girlfriend and she paid her life when the wrong people found out. At the time Thea was killed, Oliver and Felicity were starting to get closer than ever and she had been waiting for something real to finally happen. But when it finally did it was for all the wrong reasons.

Oliver showed up at her doorstep the night of Thea's service. His clothes were battered and covered with her assassins' blood, his eyes so dead and sunk into his skull that she had to ignore her own tears in order to wipe his. She had realized that night, as he sat stoically on her tiny couch, that the loss of Thea may be the final straw. She expected him to be angry and wild and hateful, and she was prepared to deal with it all.

What she wasn't prepared to deal with, however, was for Oliver to grab her wrist desperatally and look at her with pleading haunted eyes. "_Please." _His whisper came out ragged and broken. "_I need… I.. can't…" _he took a shuddering breath and Felicity's heart had never beaten faster. "_Please, Felicity." _

Of all the time she knew Oliver, Felicity had never known him to use that word except for that one time and as she looked down at the mess of a man holding on to her wrist, she couldn't do anything but nod once. He was devastated and broken and she couldn't deny him the one thing he wanted. Not when it could have pulled him off the edge because at the time she could tell that he was teetering there.

So she did it. She grabbed his hand tightly and led him to her bedroom without a word and what she always imagined to be a beautiful special first time, turned into a wrong and desperate act of grief. When they were done he had wept silently for hours then finally fell asleep against her shoulder but the next day he wasn't there when she woke up. And three days later, every TV channel had the same story running. Oliver Queen was gone.

She swipes at her eyes with a mad gesture as she feels them blurring at the memory. She knew for a fact, even as she agreed to it, that she'd later regret that night. She knew that he'd never look at her the same again and that he may kick her off of the team when he came back to his senses. She knew and she did it, because even in her worst case scenario, he was gone for a few months only. And in her most hopeful moment, she had even dreamt of getting him to come back and stay.

"Mommy," the tiny voice coming from behind, accompanied with a tug of her dress, pulls her from her thoughts. "Mommy can I walk puppy tomorrow?" her Rs still sounded like Ws, so the last word was pronounced _Tomowwow_.

"You know his name is Sebastian, not puppy" Felicity crouches down to level herself with the little girl and tucks a loose blonde curl behind her ear. "and Mrs. Avery will be walking him around the curb but I'll be a bit busy here, so you'll walk alone with her for a while" sighing, she takes off the apron then scoops the girl up into her arms then heads to her bedroom "you have to promise to stay with her and not let go of her hand, and no talking to strangers even if they look nice." She says the last sentence as she lowers Clara into her bed.

"Clara listens to mommy," the little one stated with sleepy eyes and an earnest nod "Clara stays close to doggie."

"Not to doggie, baby girl," Felicity brushes a kiss against her daughter's forehead then smiles. "you stay close to Mrs. Avery." Her instructions are as good as wasted on her daughter's already-sleeping form. She smiles wider then leaves the room. The moment she leaves, thoughts of her daughter's father invade her mind one again. He doesn't even know that his daughter exists and she'd like to keep it that way. Clara Smoak didn't need her father anymore than Felicity needed her Oliver, was Felicity's decision, and as she went to bed, she almost believed her own lie. Almost.

The next day Felicity sent her daughter off with their friendly neighbor, then wandered to the window every now and then as her fingers flew over her various tablets. She tried to keep a watch on the tiny blonde head skipping down the street, but even as she did so, she somehow missed the man wandering aimlessly around their neighborhood.

Oliver has no idea how he ended up here or why. Okay, so maybe he does know why, but he still doesn't know when he decided to show up to this address or how he did it. One second he was debating whether or not he should try and find his old IT girl and the next her neighborhood's name was flashing on his screen and the decision was made. He didn't have a specific street or house number, so he just decided to walk down the street a few times then leave. He didn't even really want to see Felicity. He just wanted to be near her in a way.

He knew, deep down, that he had hurt her far too greatly in the past to be forgiven. Her feelings for him were written on her face every day for years for him to see and that night he had used them then threw them in her face mercilessly. He had used _her. _It was one thing to use someone who didn't matter, a stranger, for that sort of thing and a completely different story when you used someone you were –are- actually in love with. Needless to say he had done the latter and profoundly screwed things up, and then to top it off, he ran away from her.

From the city. From the memories. And most of all from his sister's ghost.

Thea's memory still haunted him even now. He saw her in every corner and in ever y face. Six years later and he still blames himself for her death. He reckons that losing Felicity as well as Thea, was a small punishment.

He walks with his head bowed down and is completely lost in thought until a sound calls his attention. Looking up, he spots a little girl chasing a dog down the street while an elderly woman shouts after the both of them. The girl, who couldn't be older than 4 or 5, is unstoppable as she races towards him and her giggles send shots of warmth to his heart. He watches for a second longer as she calls "Com'ere puppyyyy" and his lips twitch up. His thoughts are brought back to Felicity a moment later, and just as he turns around to walk back the way he came from, he spots a speeding car coming their way. The child's way. Somehow, in a heartbeat, Oliver has a scene playing in his mind. The little girl running across the street. The car too fast to stop in time.

In horror, he watches as the scene plays out in reality seconds later.

The dog barks at the girl then runs to the other side of the street, and the little girl followd in glee with smiling eyes. The car's wheels screech but it's too late, the girl is too close.

In a show of speed he thought he lost, Oliver races the few feet to the girl, then scoops her up into his arms and jumps out of the way just as the car comes to a halt right where they stood a few seconds ago. The old woman is having a melt down on the sidewalk and the dog is panting by their side and looking slightly guilty but Oliver only cares about the girl.

"Are you alright?" he asks with an exhale, the adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

"Yes," the girl's blue eyes –he could swear they looked familiar- are wide in fear and she chews on her lip nervously. "mommy said look at the street when you cross but I didn't" her speech sounds funny and Oliver, who's holding her in his, smiles despite himself. "don't tell mommy I went after puppy 'cause she told me not to."

"You should really start listening to your mommy then," instructed Oliver with a tap to her nose. "what's your name, little one?"

"Clara" _Clawa, _she said. His grin widened.

"That's a pretty name." He nodded approvingly. "I'm Oliver, by the way. So, tell me Clara, are your daddy or mommy here? Can we take you to them?"

"I don't have a daddy. Mommy said he's gone to fight dragons and bad people and he got lost," she nodded solemnly and his heart dropped. Who could ever be so heartless as to leave such an angel behind. "she said he'll come back when all dragons are gone but they're not yet"

"You know what? I don't have a daddy either," he whispered as if they were sharing a secret "so until your daddy comes back, you and I can be friends and wait for him." He didn't really plan on staying long but at that second he'd have said anything to make the kid smile. For some reason, he had warmed up to her too fast. Something about her sweet smile and misspelled name tugged at his heart strings.

"Like a club?" she beamed.

"Like a club." He confirmed, loosening his arms to shake on it, but just as he went to add more, a voice he recognized too well, came from behind him.

"_Clara!" _ The voice screamed and sent him into shock. Every last muscle of his body froze. "Clara baby are you okay?" The woman's voice came closer as she crossed the street, and just as he thought his heart couldn't drop any harder, the little girl slipped from his arms and ran towards the voice, screaming the last word he wanted to hear.

"_Mommyyyyy"_

His back went rigid but he recovered quickly and whipped around just in time to catch sight of Felicity –_his Felicity- _catching the girl in her arms and giving her a look half stern and half fond. One only a mother could muster.

"Thank yo-" Felicity's words trailed off as she finally saw the face of the man who had her daughter in his arms a second ago. Her face clouded in a way he never thought possible and her arms tightened around the kid protectively. She sent him a stoic nod then started backing away.

"Mrs. Avery," she gave a brief nod to the elderly woman across the street. "told me what happened. Thank you." She swallowed thickly then turned to leave.

"Felicity-"

Her shoulders grew tense and she paused for a heartbeat. Clara looked curiously between her mom and the strange man.

"Don't" Her voice was colder than he ever heard it. Her word carried over the air harshly and slapped him in the face.

But as Felicity walked away it wasn't the word that had him flinching; it was the fact that he finally recognized the little girl's eyes –as his own.

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**A/N: So I may have forgotten to mention it's a bit angsty? just a bit. I feel like this shouldn't be a one-shot and that I could go somewhere with it (Angst alert) or at least give it a second chapter but that would require making it its own fic and I'm not sure about that. **

**Anyway tell me what you think and if you want to read more of this story line. **

**I hope you liked it and thanks for reading, you're great as ever. **

**Review?**


	9. On fairy tales and movie nights

**Hello there! So first of all, I'd like to thank you all for the amazing response to last chapter. It seriously blew my mind and as per usual I listened to you all and the chapter is its own fic now -onlt posted it a few minutes ago- so you can go folow it and 2nd chapter will be out tomorrow hopefully. **

**As for this chapter here, it's a drabble and one of my shortest ever.. it's also the cheesiest. I completely blame my friend for bullying me into posting it so this chapter is what happens when I submit to peer pressure. It's 500 words of shameless Disney!Olicity... Enjoy?**

**If I owed Diseny I'd send you all tickets to Disney land, so let's all pray that I someday own Disney, but for now I don't. Nor do I own Arrow... but even if I did you're still not getting Oliver, I only share tickets. **

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Felicity's breath leaves her in a soft sigh as she stares at the screen. She looks happy and slightly teary-eyed as she watches the characters singing and seemingly falling in love, and Oliver decides that her smile and gleaming eyes are definitely worth sitting through an hour of a Disney movie. And if he was accused of slightly enjoying the movie himself then he'd deny it completely –Regardless of it being slightly true.

Oliver had tried to keep up with the movie so far but he almost gave up when a horse started acting like a dog. He couldn't pick on the details but had a general idea of the original fairy tale, so he tried to watch but upon noticing his girlfriend's reactions, he had decided that watching her was far more fun and proceeded to do that.

The two characters on screen are sitting in a boat with gleaming lights around them and Felicity looks as excited as the girl herself. She smiles widely then buries her head in his shoulder for a moment. Once the guy starts singing, she sighs in happily and he tries not to laugh or ruffle her hair like the kid she is.

About eight years ago, you could have paid him his weight in gold and you still wouldn't catch him dead watching a Disney movie with his girlfriend. Back then he wouldn't so much as stick with anyone long enough to have a movie-night ritual, let alone a Disney-movie-night one.

Felicity frowns as there seems to be a problem with the princess and the guy. The man is a criminal of some sort and he leaves the girl who –Oliver decided- looked a lot like Felicity.

She chews on her lip now at a particularly dangerous jump that the horse performs and she looks… _adorable. _Adorable isn't an adjective that he's ever thought he'd use on any woman he's dating, but then again, Felicity was nothing like any other woman he's known. They've been together for little over a year and she still managed to surprise him often.

She moves suddenly to settle her head on his shoulder and he catches sight of the tears she's trying to hide. Not bothering to ask, he simply looks at the movie long enough to catch sight of someone dying then puts his arm around her.

_What kind of a kids' movie is this. _He thinks with a frown.

The night goes on with more princesses and singing silverware, singing fish and at one point there was a singing parrot and a big blue man. Oliver had absolutely no idea what were they teaching kids those days.

A few hours later found them with three empty popcorn bowls, a sleeping Felicity and an Oliver that was finally too engrossed in the movie to notice. Eventually, after making sure he remembered the ending to the movie his girlfriend missed, he had fallen asleep on the couch with her head against his shoulder and her hand clasped in his. They looked like kids in a fairy tale.

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**A/N: I completely understand if you need a dental appointment after this, or maybe you can add the story to your pizza for how cheesy it is, but hey, Olicity cuteness so you can't complain can you?! I decided that I'll stick to long chapters in the future because drabbles are a pain to write and I miss angst. **

**Anywayyyy I hope it made you smile and I'll be back soon with longer chapters (I feel like a commercial) and I'm in need of new prompts because I exhausted the ones I already have, so send me some and thank you.**

**Thanks for reading and tell me what you think. Do your teeth hurt from sweetness yet? **

**Review!**


	10. Get your own coffee

**Hello everyone! I know it's been a while and no I'm not dead (just a uni student.. same thing basically) but I haven't had much inspiration, or time, to write lately. However, god bless 3 AM and Felicity Smoak for fixing that tonight. **

**This chapter was inspired by the latest Arrow episode and the coffee ordeal; I just adored Olicity's little fight and the coffee mug that Felicity offered later and I decided to write a coffee drabble.. which turned out slightly longer, and completely different, than what I originally had in mind. **

**I hope you like this and believe it or not I am still working on prompts whenever I have time to. And to my _Left Behind _readers: the story isn't abandoned I promise, please don't hate me. **

**I hope you like this one and if you don't like coffee then pretend it's tea.**

**I don't own Arrow but I do own cute coffee mugs.**

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What started out as a single cup of coffee, placed on his desk with a resigned look and an inaudible sigh, had turned into a daily habit.

At first she had seethed and sworn up and down that she'd _never _make him coffee or attend to him in anyway, but then that one night happened. A night where everything took a wrong turn and the whole world seemed to conspire against him –_both_ of him- and Oliver could do nothing but stare at a screen and receive the words flung at him ruthlessly. He knew even as he watched that he had made the right choice, regardless of the consequences, but the accusations stung all the same.

It was at that point that Felicity had walked into the room and placed a steaming cup of coffee on his desk. Oliver stared at the mug for a moment, thinking that she must have seen the news, and then looked up with a grateful smile.

"One" She murmured with a glint in her eyes then walked away. It was a promise she won't be able to keep.

The next time Felicity made him a cup of coffee, Oliver had been shot at by no other than Laurel Lance. He had avoided the bullet with a wide margin –it didn't even come close to hitting him- but it had still wounded him much deeper than he'd care to admit.

That night he sat at his office with unseeing eyes and a forgotten file that needed studying. Felicity walked in with two steaming mugs and slammed one in front of him with an exasperated sigh.

"Would you please stop moping around?" she pulled a chair and sat across from him. "I mean yeah it sucks that your ex tried to shoot you but that won't be the first time, and probably not the last, that that happens." At his grim expression Felicity shrugged. "Not my fault that you have a terrible taste in girlfriends… It's either a psycho, a woman going after you or one who hates both versions of you." Felicity went silent for a moment then slowly raised her eyebrows. "Actually, I'm starting to see a pattern."

Oliver just shook his head and sipped his coffee. Felicity grinned then sternly warned him that he shouldn't get used to this.

The third time took place a couple of months later when a mission went wrong and Felicity blamed herself for it. That time he was the one offering coffee.

"This is becoming ridiculous," she attempted a smile as she took the extended mug. "coffee isn't even that comforting." But the grateful glance didn't escape his notice and after a moment's debate he sat with her till long after she finished drinking.

At some point the simple beverage, consumed late at night over scattered papers or blazing screens, became a gesture of comfort and friendship and they no longer argued who would make the other coffee; it always fell on the comforter. Then slowly and without either one of them noticing, the habit turned into one of warmth and familiarity. A ritual of sorts.

"What's this one for?" Oliver looked quizzically at Felicity's offering hand. "I don't recall anything bad happening today." Their mission had gone well. Spectacular, even.

"Nothing," a blush crept along Felicity's cheeks. "I just finished my work and.. well, you still have much to do and I thought –" at Oliver's twitching lips she thrust the mug at him, almost spilling its contents, with forged impatience. "Just take the stupid thing."

Oliver thanked her then returned the favor the very next day.

Now, it was a sacred thing for them to have their coffee together. Mostly it'd be at night when employees had gone home and the building emptied of everyone but them. They'd sit in silence and do their separate things with two mugs sitting between them. Sometimes he'd ask her about a lead she was on and sometimes she'd offer to help with the endless work he had to do, but mostly their comfortable silence was only interrupted by the sounds of rustling papers and coffee being sipped.

One time their nightly ritual was canceled due to a social event that prevented Oliver from going to the company. As the time of their hour spent together drew near, Oliver grew agitated and annoyed. He had seen Felicity earlier that day and for some reason told her that he won't be there tonight but his thoughts strayed to her anyway and he found it hard not to stare at the clock. At midnight he excused himself and did the stupidest thing ever. He went to her house.

"Oliver?" Felicity, wearing blue PJs and messy hair, raised her eyebrows at him with a bemused smile. "What are you doing here?"

"It's too late for coffee but I hear _Chai _is just as good," he raised the paper bag with a hesitant grin. His heart was doing a curious dance in his chest. He exhaled a sigh of relief when her smile widened and she moved back a step.

"Come on in," She waved him inside then closed the door. He mused at how small her living room was and how comfortable the couch in it felt. That was the first time he had ever walked into her house and it was also the first of many nights he'd spend there.

Two hours, two cups of hot beverage and a recap of their day later found him asleep on the comfy couch. In the morning he left before she woke up, only to be back a few nights later. He hardly slept at home after that.

It was strange, Oliver thought, how something that started out as an act of kindness had developed into something of such value and meaning. The cups of coffee which started out scarce and far in between, had become an essential part of their days and one that they both looked forward to –although neither one would admit it.

Those hours spent together after the entire city had gone to sleep felt magical and private; in a way it was as if no one but them lived in those hours and the walls they built came crumbling down. Their stories of the day –most of which they spent together anyway- were shared as papers and laptops took a backseat. Their glances and smiles became more frequent and their hands lingered a few seconds longer when he handed her the mug.

Felicity told him of her first love over a cup of tea –she wanted to sleep earlier that night- and Oliver told her about Tommy the day after. On and on the days went and the stories only went deeper and more personal, until one day Oliver realized that his former IT girl now knew him better than anyone else.

The next time they had coffee after that realization, Oliver had leaned down and kissed her and she simply let him.

"Oliver?" Felicity had whispered against his lips.

"Hmm?" he pulled back just enough to look at her. Amusement and mischief danced in her eyes and he resisted the urge to kiss her again. Her hand brushed his cheek and he felt her smiling lips moving against his own.

"You taste like coffee."

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**A/N: I have a thing for writing late at night and posting right away. I'll probably reread this and cringe later, so just excuse any mistakes or recommend me a beta willing to deal with my odd hours and endless rants. Just kidding.. sorta. **

**I really hope you liked this and I'd be more than happy to get your feedback. Do you guys like coffee? **

**Thanks for reading, you guys are the best!**

**Tell me what you think? Review!**


	11. Say the words

**Hello again lovelies! This chapter is inspired by a scene in the "The Iron Fey" book series by the awesome Julie Kagawa. It ****is a long chapter to make up for the absence of updates lately and **also what happens when I'm trying my best to ignore my studies. 

**Thanks so much to everyone for the constant support and reviews/faves/follows. **

**I hope you enjoy this one and I'd prepare a toothbrush (to handle all the sweetness) if I were you. **

**I am sadly obliged to inform you that I don't own anything or anyone.**

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The first time Felicity had said the words to Oliver took place on a relatively normal day. They had been together for six months at the time and neither one of them had cared to put what they felt in common terms or words. They hadn't even bothered with defining their relationship to the world; because the words _girlfriend/boyfriend_ sounded too insignificant and the words _partners/lovers_ too cheesy and at times too _heavy_. So, on they went being just _Oliver and Felicity_. Best friends. Colleagues. A Billionaire and his assistant. But most importantly; together.

It stayed that way between them for so long that Felicity didn't even question it anymore. At least, not in the way she had done a few months prior when doubts and questions crept into her mind so late at night while his arms were drawn around her waist and her head rested against his chest. Back then, the doubts -and the insecurities- stabbed her so hard she couldn't breathe. _What if he's not here when I wake up. What if he goes back to Laurel. What if he never loves me. _And on and on the thoughts went. So ugly and persistent that she had to get out of bed at times. But in the morning when Felicity woke up with Oliver still next to her, his arms tighter around her than the night before, the doubts would slowly fade away and she'd breathe easily again.

At some point the dark thoughts had stopped keeping her up at night and when Oliver gave her a secret smile or touched her hand briefly in passing, she'd allow herself the small thrill of knowing that he was hers and that she did not need a silly title to make that official. Nor did she need those three _little words. Not a tiny bit. Not even at all. _She'd think.

The day the words sprang to her lips for the first time, she had bitten down on her lip so hard she drew blood. It was during a mission and over the comms. Oliver had been literally fighting for his life alongside Diggle and the two men had finally made it out but just barely.

_"Felicity? Send the signal to Harper. Get us out of here." _He had said gruffly and she felt tears springing to her eyes. He was alive after she'd been on the edge of losing him and the three words had never seemed so tempting to say, but she knew that she shouldn't. Not now and not this way. She bit down on her lip as she pressed a few buttons. She took a deep breath, then finally answered him.

"_Done. And Oliver?" _

_"Yes?" _

_"Scare me like that again and I'll kill you myself." _The only response she got was Diggle's snort and Oliver's quiet sigh.

The second time Felicity wanted to whisper the words against his lips, was at a charity their company held. The guests had been mingling around and chattering Oliver for the past hour and Felicity had finally managed to draw him aside for a few minutes.

"_This making an appearance stuff is getting silly and those heels are killing me," _She had complained to him. "_Exactly how long is this thing going to last?_" At the time she was just getting used to being Oliver Queen's "girlfriend" and the attention was taking its toll on her. "_I'm also hungry." _

_"There's food, you can eat." _He said with a twitch of his lips. No doubt anticipating her response.

"_You call THAT food? It's more like cat bites or whatever. It's like something that's only pretending to be food." _She had exclaimed and Oliver laughed. The sound had been so warm and new to her ears that she momentarily forgot her annoyance.

"_Have some of it now and we'll slip out in half an hour to have real dinner," _He bargained tactfully "_I promise." _

The offer satisfied Felicity and she nodded reluctantly then stopped a passing waiter. "_What's this?" _The man started giving an elaborate wording of some foreign food, and Felicity cut him off with a sheepish smile. "_Just tell me, does it have peanuts in it?" _The last thing she needed was for her allergic reaction to make a guest appearance.

_"None of the foods offered tonight have peanuts or their derivatives in them, ma'am."_ The man answered patiently. "_Mr.__ Queen has specifically ordered that."_

For some reason, the statement had hit Felicity so hard she couldn't manage a response. Did he really specify that for her or was it something else entirely? The embarrassed, almost bordering on nervous, look on Oliver's face told her everything she needed to know. Her stomach suddenly felt too full with butterflies to eat anything and she thanked the waiter then turned back to her boss.

"_Did you..?" _She had asked with a shy smile and Oliver's eyes softened.

"_You did mention it once," _He cleared his throat. "_A long time ago. And I thought you'll want to eat at some point so.." _He trailed of with a shrug and another sweet smile that only she got to see.

In that very moment and for that one silly little incident, Felicity had felt a jolting rush of affection for the man standing next to her. She had wanted to stand on tiptoes -although she had heels on- and kiss him. She had wanted to tell him just how ridiculously sweet she thought he was. But most of all, she had wanted to confess that she was maybe falling in love with him even harder than before. And that she never wanted to stop.

Still she had said nothing and settled for kissing his cheek then keeping hold of his hand for the rest of the night.

Many times after that had led the words to her lips. She brushed them off just as many because she knew that despite what he might feel for her, Oliver Queen was not ready yet to return the words back. She had accepted that fact and decided to live with it. He'd come to trust her with his heart so completely as to say them one day -but until that happens, she'll simply have to wait.

And so she did wait. For six months she waited. Always holding the words in. Always making a game of the many different ways she could say them without really saying them. Until the day she finally gave in and let the words loose.

Surprisingly enough, the world did not end that day. And not so surprisingly Oliver hadn't said the words back.

It had been at the end of a normal day -according to their standards- while they laid down in bed. Their limps were entangled and Felicity rested her head on the pillow a few inches from his. It had been a tiring day with another one of Felicity's rare field missions and Oliver had been so worried earlier that it resulted in him crushing Felicity in a desperate hug when she came back intact. The effects of the mission followed them home and when Felicity went to sleep next to him, Oliver had turned to face her and rested one arm under her waist while he moved a hand gently against her back. He smoothed her hair and ran his hand up and down her spine until the movement started lulling her to sleep. With heavy eyelids she had looked up at him and seen the strong emotion shinning through his eyes.

"_Felicity?" _His voice sounded lost like a little boy's. His eyes shone with emotions. "_What you did today. You can't do that again. Please. I need you to be safe. To stay with me. I can't afford to lose you. You have to promise to never act outside the plan. I won't ask you to never do a mission again; I know you'll refuse. But.. Next time, even if we lose the target and even if it compromises the mission, your first priority is your own safety." _

Felicity had wanted to argue that she had gotten them the man they needed and that she had done the right thing, but the desperation in Oliver's eyes and the heaviness in her own had stopped her. The now familiar rush of emotions didn't help much either.

"_Fine," _She stroked his face and he let out a small sigh. "_I promise." _Felicity closed her eyes and his hand returned to stroking her back. Her eyes sprang open and she felt the decision forming in her mind plus the helplessness at stopping the words just as her lips moved.

"_Oliver?_"

"Mmm?"

"... _I love you._"

His hand stilled. She felt him tremble. "_I know,__" _he said softly, resting a kiss against her forehead. "_Get some sleep. You certainly earned it."_

His deep voice was the last thing she heard before falling asleep.

After that something had shifted between them. Oliver's smiles came a little easier than before, and his emotions seemed more on display for her. At the lair he stopped being The Arrow even with his hood on and started being just Oliver. It didn't matter if the green paint still smudged his eyes or if his T-shirt was dampened with sweat from training; when he caught Felicity's eyes, an invisible door opened and Oliver's features seemed softer, happier and a little bit younger. She always committed those shifts to memory.

Felicity had stopped holding back when the words hammered at her lips. She didn't say them too often, or often at all if she was being honest, but when she most felt like telling him, she'd softly whisper an "_I love you_" and watch as his eyes filled with awe. And she appreciated those awestruck looks so much that she started looking forward to them and forgot about the words not being returned.

Until the day he had allowed the words to pass his lips and she realized just how much she had yearned for them. Just how musical and meaningful they sounded on his lips. And just how delicious they tasted against her own.

The day Oliver Queen had finally admitted his love to Felicity Smoak was the day her heart had soared so high she thought she might lose it to the clouds. It was the day she thought the world would truly end, although _again _it didn't, and the one where her worries were silenced once and for all.

That day Oliver had made himself a vow and Felicity a promise. The words that clawed at him for so long were released and he knew that in years to come they'd only ring truer the more times he said them.

He had thought that he'd never make himself so vulnerable as to love again. He had thought that his heart was too damaged for that sort of emotion to blossom in it. And most of all he had feared the inevitable heartache that would follow if he let himself feel that way. But then Felicity came and he had no choice but to feel love -even when he wouldn't allow the slightest trace of _that_ word to make it to his lips.

He had thought the words so many times that it scared him. And he had thought them at the silliest of times, like that one time where she smiled at him in an office meeting or the time where she stood up to him for taking it out on Diggle. And the day she had said _I love you _he had trembled with the effort of not returning the words.

Oliver had decided that when he finally tells Felicity that he loves her, he'd make it worth the wait and her patience.

It didn't occur to him that the words would slip before he had the time to register what was happening. And he most definitely didn't think that it'd happen in their little kitchen with Felicity's laughter coloring her cheeks pink. Especially not when she was laughing at _him _for burning their popcorn and claiming that he could burn water if he attempted boiling it.

"You're terrible," She said jokingly. "what are we going to have now with the movie?"

"We can order something," He smiled sheepishly. "or just go to a theater."

"What theater is open at one in the morning, Oliver?" She rolled her eyes and it drew another smile out of him. These days his smiles came to him too easily and the lines around his eyes were threatening to turn into laughter lines.

"I don't know, you're the know-it-all in this relationship." Her raised eyebrows urged him to tease her further.

"So, that's the reason you're keeping me around?" She returned playfully.

"No. I do _that _because I love you."

And just that easily, the words were out. No commotion, no candles, no build-up. Nothing. Just them, their little kitchen and a burnt pot of popcorn as their only witness. And yet it felt right in how easily it slipped and the lights in Felicity's eyes made up for what a hundred candles could have supplied.

That day was the day Oliver had fallen in love a little deeper with Felicity Smoak and the day he vowed to never leave her side. It was also the day he was assured that his love for her would only grow and take roots in his heart the more time passed.

"What did you say?" She had slowly asked but the lights dancing in her eyes had told him that she heard him perfectly. He smiled.

"I said that I love you."

"Again." She demanded then came a few steps closer; her lips smiling and a ghost of a breath away from his.

"_I love you._"

".._I know_." Her triumphant smile lasted only as long as it took for him to kiss her.

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**A/N: For some strange reason, I'm really fond of this chapter and I really reallyyy hope you guys liked it. I wanted to give more to Oliver's POV but the chapter was getting too long and I felt that no matter the original plans, Oliver is't the type to make an ordeal out of a love deceleration. But if you think otherwise then I'd love to hear why so!**

**Thanks sooo much for reading and I'd love to hear what you think of the chapter. Honestly, did you like it or should I stop trying my had on fluff and go back to me beloved angst? **

**Tell me what you think of this chapter. Review!**

**P.S: Go vote for Olicity in PCA awards and let's show the writers how big and strong we are. Maybe we'll get an Olicity kiss then. GO! (but review first ahem)**


	12. Lightweight

**Hello again! This chapter is written for the ancient Drunk!Olicity prompt. I've seen many of those before and I eventually decided that I want to try writing my version of it and so this chapter was born. I'm not telling you who's going to be drunk here just so you can find out yourself but I should point out that I went for my own version of drunk.. and I'm honestly not sure if that's good or bad. **

**I must thank you all for the spectacular response last chapter had. The reviews here and the reblogs on tumblr made me ecstatic, and not only did it get +100 reblogs but we also crossed the 200 reviews mark and for that I'm very grateful. Thank you all for being amazing. **

**A last thank you for my good friend who volunteered to read this chapter for me and pointed out a few mistakes.**

**I write disclaimers now. Disclaimers are cool. (That's Doctor Who for I own nothing)**

**Enjoy!**

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Felicity's head throbbed as the music grew louder. She wished –not for the first time- that she had been more careful earlier. If she hadn't been so careless about wandering up to the club's grounds, Thea wouldn't have seen her and Felicity could have left through the back door like she always does.

As it was, Felicity had been bordering on dehydration after working for 12 hours straight and since a certain well-built billionaire had forgotten to stock up their mini fridge with water, she had had no choice but to venture up in hopes of finding anything to drink. And that's how she managed to run into Thea of all people.

The other girl hadn't been too shocked at seeing Felicity there before opening hours, since they had run into each other at Verdant several times before, but she did ask her brother's assistant for some help when she had the time.

"I don't know what's wrong with the laptop," Thea had chattered as she walked around with a clipboard and a pen in hand. "but it's messing up some of my files and losing documents and I need those intact for work.. soooo could you please take a look at it?" She had given Felicity a hopeful smile then carried on not waiting for an answer. "I know you're not in the IT department anymore and all that –Ollie told me what you used to work, and I'm not trying to use you but I just need help?"

Felicity just wanted to go home and sleep. Oliver had pulled her out of work much earlier than usual and they had been after a target for most of the day. Her feet ached, her head pounded and she couldn't feel her fingers anymore, but it was either say yes to Thea or say no and risk a topic change that could lead to unwanted questions.

"I'll check it out, don't worry," Felicity had nodded warily. "In fact, let me just take a look at it now before I leave."

"Thank you thank you thank you," Thea had clapped her hands then grinned at Felicity. "Just come and see me before you leave, I owe you a drink." And with that, Thea twirled away and started for the bar.

Two hours later Felicity had discovered a bug in the youngest Queen's device, dealt with it, installed an anti-virus and restored Thea's missing documents.

By the time she was done, the club buzzed with people and the stink of alcohol. The trek down the stairs from Thea's office and into Verdant was enough to set Felicity's nerves on edge. The people she glimpsed as she went down were all dressed in skimpy dresses and bright colors –not that she minded either one of those- while she wore a ratty pair of jeans and a fandom T-shirt with a stupid reference that probably no one here would get. Those clothes were the spare ones she kept at the lair in case she had to work long hours and needed something comfy, and since today's mission fit the description she had figured _why not. _It didn't seem like such a wise choice anymore.

In a small attempt to not stand out like a polar bear in a desert, she quickly pulled out her hairband and shook out her hair until it fell in curls against her shoulders.

_Aha, much better. _She decided. _And the T-shirt isn't that bad either, it's actually cool and torn jeans are kind of a thing anyway. _She convinced herself.

She walked more surely to Thea now, intending to say a quick goodbye, take that drink and be on her way. She had entertained the thought of leaving the girl a note and taking off but decided against it. The drink offer sounded tempting. And she may or may not be hoping to catch the older Queen.

They had been so busy with both the company and The Arrow's work lately that she hadn't talked to him, really talked to him, in a while.

"Felicity!" Thea materialized to Felicity's left and shouted to get her attention. Then she took hold of Felicity's arm and started moving towards the bar. "Did you fix it? Did it work out?" Felicity nodded with a proud grin.

"Yes," She shouted back to Thea. "And I added a few things to keep it running well."

Thea beamed at the news and bellowed something to the bartender about a special drink. "Here's your promised drink! Thanks for the help and if you want another drink then it's on the house." Felicity thanked her with a shake of her head; she highly doubted she'd even finish the first one. "Anyway, I have so much to do so I'll see you around later." Thea waved then disappeared again in the crowd, and Felicity couldn't help but think of the girl as a pixie who never stopped moving.

A few moments later, a glass of some sparkly drink sat in front of Felicity. She picked it up gingerly. She wasn't much of a drinker and the first taste of the thing made her shudder. She took another tentative sip and screwed up her nose in disgust. _Yep, definitely no seconds for me. _

Despite the very small amount she consumed, all taken with a comical expression, she began to feel her headache worsening as her head swam. Add the term _lightweight _to her many traits.

She steadied herself and pushed the glass away from her once the dizziness increased. Her plan was to hang around a few more minutes and see if she could catch Oliver. If she saw no sign of him then she'd obey her body's orders and leave at once, but if she did find him then he's in for a lecture about fridge responsibilities and grocery shopping.

_Why didn't you get any water? _She imagined herself saying. _Oliver Queen, you have failed this city._

The thought made her burst in giggles and the man to her right shot her a weird look while another one, who stood a few steps from the bar, smirked and moved closer.

_Yep, definitely time to go._

She expected the leering guy to block her way as she left her spot but he merely looked dismayed then moved his eyes to another woman. She exhaled in relief and started moving faster. The music had somehow intensified in a split second and she could feel the beats hammering against her skull. Her feet, which she had opted to ignore so far, protested each time she took a step, and the dizziness from the drink didn't exactly help either.

She made it to the front door within a few minutes but her ears continued to throb painfully. Any other day, the music and swaying bodies would have been mildly enjoyable to her but the day's work was finally taking its toll and Felicity cursed herself for taking that drink. Now she'd have to look for a cab instead of driving her own car which sat a few blocks away. And despite all her trouble, she hadn't so much as glimpsed Oliver.

At the club's entrance, Felicity took in her first waft of fresh air since morning. She inhaled deeply and felt her head clearing for a moment and her arms breaking in goosebumps with the nighttime chill. She moved further away from the entrance and down the two steps marking the club's exit. On the second step, Felicity felt another wave of dizziness and stumbled a bit, causing her flats to catch at the steps' carpeted edge and send her sprawling forward. Felicity cursed Thea and her stupid laptop as she braced herself for impact –but the ground never came up to her.

A muscled arm snaked around her waist and for a sinking moment she was sure that it's that pervy-looking guy from inside and she tensed into a defensive position. Dizzy or not, she was going to break his nose for laying a hand on her.

But fortunately the guy behind her spoke before she had time to react.

"Don't punch me," Came Oliver's warning voice laced with amusement. "I come in peace."

Felicity took her second exhale of relief for the night and slumped against Oliver, who still held her back to his front.

"You're not funny," she said as she pushed away and turned to face him. He looked brilliant in a buttoned, deep blue shirt that brought out his eye color. His sleeves were rolled up to reveal muscled arms and Felicity's eyes lingered on those a moment longer than they should have. She had the distinct idea that she might be slightly tipsy to have such thoughts invading her brains. "Where were you all day? You just disappeared, you and Digg, and left me all alone with all the work!"

Oliver's eyebrows shot up at her uncharacteristic behavior then understanding seemed to dawn on him. "You've been drinking." He stated, and she heard a hint of exasperation in his voice.

"Just a tiny little bit," she shrugged, the movement somehow sending a spark of pain through her head. "I didn't even finish half of that special pink sparkly drink."

Oliver's expression which looked mildly exasperated a moment ago, turned dark at the statement. "That special _pink sparkly drink _you're talking about, just so happens to be my sister's newest experiment with fancy beverages." Oliver said flatly. "It has enough concentrated alcohol in it to knock out a small bear." _Oops. _"Did someone offer it to you?" Oliver's face had hardened instantly at the suggestion of someone trying to get Felicity drunk. His eyes started scanning their surroundings and his jaw flexed, which Felicity found all too fascinating all of the sudden. She had to resist the urge to run her hands over his face.

"Noooo," Felicity answered in exasperation. Why was he being so dramatic anyway? "Thea offered it to me and I took it."

"Thea and I will have to talk about this later," Oliver muttered then rubbed a hand over his face. "Where's your car? Digg already left, and we need to take you home."

Felicity's brain struggled to come up with why she shouldn't be driving a car anytime soon and it took her a moment to voice the reason.

"I'm getting a cab," was her speech slurred or was she imagining things? "I can't drive, that's stupid because.. because of reasons.."

_I'm going to murder Thea for this. _Some distant part of her brain seethed and Felicity brushed it off.

"Sure you're not going to drive," Oliver shook his head incredulously. He took her by the arm and started moving away from the club. "I'll take you home, by your car, and then come back here." He explained as if he was talking to a five year old. "I haven't made a public appearance in there for a while." He muttered tiredly to himself.

After a while of walking silently, Felicity looking around and trying to figure out why everything suddenly looked too colorful, Oliver spoke to ask her where exactly she had parked her car. It was a feat for her sluggish brain to locate the thing and she had almost pointed them at the wrong direction, but a coherent part of her that was present at all times sighed and pushed her pointing hand the right way.

Oliver seemed to handle her with unusual care the whole way to the car. He rubbed her arms when she got chilly and held her hand tightly when they crossed the street but let it go as if it had burnt him once they reached the other side. If she didn't know any better she'd have thought he was feeling guilty for holding her hand.

"Did you eat anything?" Oliver asked once she was seated in the passenger seat with her head laid against the window. Her stomach protested at the thought of food and she felt bile rise up.

"Ughhhh, please don't." she ignored his disapproving glare.

"Felicity," His voice did strange pleasant things to her stomach and she squeezed her eyes shut. "tell me you've eaten something today after I left you."

"No," she mumbled miserably. Whatever Thea had given her wasn't agreeing with her system.

"We need to get something into you," he glanced at her and gave another sigh. His hands clenched tighter around the steering wheel.

"I'd have had something to eat if Mr. I have great arms remembered to buy the stuff I asked for," she said in one breath then tilted her head at Oliver's shocked expression. "What did I say?" she wondered aloud then went over her words.

There's a reason that Felicity never liked getting drunk and that's because despite her not being the shouting, make-a-fool-of-yourself type of drunks, she was an even worse subdued, say-whatever-comes-to-mind type –which was no different than her normal state except for the terrible dizziness and the slow thought process. And the increasingly inappropriate thoughts. So being drunk offered her nothing but a damper on her lucidity and a hangover the next morning.

"Please ignore what I said," she said halfheartedly; not really caring about the words but knowing that she'll regret them later. "you always do that anyway so do that again now. And you already knew you have great arms, I bet. All that training." She waved her hands in a mimicking way and caught his lips twitching.

"And here I was thinking you're no fun drunk," Oliver allowed a smile, which looked dangerously close to smug, and cast Felicity another cautious look.

"Why," Started Felicity loudly; her spirits lifting at his smile. "Do you keep looking at me that way?"

"What way?" Oliver raised an eyebrow.

"_That_ way!" She exclaimed too loudly then winced as her ears rang. Dropping her voice to a whisper she continued. "The _I feel guilty for looking at you _way. The _I'm just gonna drive you crazy and sneak looks at you_ way." Her mind screamed at her to stop talking but just as the thought was sinking in, Oliver gave her another weird look and she almost jumped up with her finger pointed at him. "HA! That's it! That's the look!"

"I liked you better when you weren't talking," Oliver muttered, too low for her to hear, and then gave a deep sigh. "I'm just going to assume that you won't remember this tomorrow," he mused. "So, that look? It's because… well.. you look beautiful… and I shouldn't be thinking that when you're this drunk" At Felicity's astonished expression –even when drunk, the word _beautiful_ sent jolts through her- Oliver grimaced. "That's just not fair to you. You always look beautiful, but with the flushed cheeks and that glint in your eyes…" Oliver shook his head in guilt. "I feel bad just thinking that. I even held your hand... Took advantage of you."

The last sentence struck Felicity as the funniest thing in the world and she couldn't help the laugh escaping her.

"You think that's funny?" Oliver asked incredulously.

"Oliver, you didn't take my virtue," Another giggle. "You helped me cross the street! Oh you're so cute."

"Cute?" Oliver frowned but his twitching lips gave away his amusement. "Did you just call the vigilante of Starling City cute? I'm the most wanted man in every police station in this city and she calls me _cute_." Felicity's laughs now rocked her body and she knew from experience that she'll pass out soon. They were very close to her apartment but she highly doubted that she'd make it there awake.

"You are cute when you let yourself be," she stated confidently, then leaned down and laid a feather light kiss against his cheek. His shock at the action made the car momentarily waver. "And I give you permission to carry me upstairs," She laid her head back against the window, the laughing spill finally gone. "So you don't have to feel guilty about that."

"So now I'm carrying you upstairs?" Oliver had gained back his composure and spoke with a light tone but the words were lost to Felicity's ears. "Felicity?" he called softly then fell silent when he noticed her closed eyes and deep breaths.

His emotions ranged from distress to pure amusement. Felicity hadn't exactly let go the way he would have if drunk, but to see his collected genius acting this way still dazzled him. He had meant what he said to her about the guilt but he may have left out a fact or two.

Although the beautiful part was true, it had been just that; a small part. Oliver had been resisting the urge to grab Felicity and kiss her ever since she pressed against him at the club. Her dilated pupils and flushed cheeks didn't help with his self-control and neither did her obvious ogling of him. All of it resulted in his thoughts taking an inappropriate direction through the car ride.

True to her word, Felicity remained asleep when they made it to her house and wouldn't wake up despite Oliver's –less than earnest- attempts.

He ended up carrying her to her apartment and into her bedroom. His years of experience at getting drunk with Tommy finally paid off and he laid her down the right way then made sure to get her a glass of water and some aspirin to her bedside table. And after a moment's hesitation he even removed her shoes and glasses then tucked her in.

_If only Tommy could see me now. _Oliver mused with a pang of sadness.

"That's what love does to you, Queen," Tommy would say. "Turns you into a big softie, I'd run to the nearest bar and get pissed drunk if I were you." To which the old Oliver would have laughed, whereas the new one would simply shake his head. "_but you're too far gone, anyway, aren't you?_" That last part sounded more him than Tommy. Oliver furrowed his brows.

How did he get from helping a drunken girl down the stairs to acknowledging his feelings? Moreover how did he go from lying about his laptop and its bullet holes to watching over the very same woman he had lied to?

As he pondered the questions, Oliver took off his shoes and chose a couch in Felicity's small living room. His earlier plans to go back to the club were now forgotten in favor of making sure his _friend _had someone to watch over her for the night.

Laying his head back and settling down, Oliver could no longer ignore the pressing question circling in his head; Will Felicity remember what happened tonight?

He certainly hoped she would.

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**A/N: And that was that. No, honestly, I have no idea what that was about. It's a change from cheesy fluff and my attempt at being funny. I'm just hoping that said attempt worked out.**

**I may very well write a 2nd part just to answer Oliver's question of her remembering or not. Bu that of course depends on how you guys like this chapter, so let me know if you'd like to see Felicity's reaction the next day. **

**Thank you a lot for reading and I'd love to hear what you thought. **

**Here's a little spoiler for you; one of the next three chapters will be angst, so enjoy the funny for now...**

**Reviewed?! ...Review!**


	13. What's lost

**Hello lovelies! This chapter is the angst I've been promising you for so long. And although it's only light angst, I hope it delivers. **

**The drunk Felicity 2nd chapter will be coming up shortly so don't worry. **

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last time and liked the chapter, you guys amaze me with your responses. **

**I'm tired of listing the characters that aren't mine; so I won't be doing it this time.. You guys know the drill. **

**Enjoy!**

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He tilted his head back and took in a long breath. All he had to do was to make an appearance and smile at people. He'd have to say a few hellos and feign interest in conversations, but at least he could make his leave in an hour. The people expected to see collected, responsible Oliver Queen the CEO of Queen's consolidated. Not the sorry excuse of a functional human he actually felt like. So he would do this. He would go inside then smile and talk normally. He _had _to.

He let out the breath he was holding and hoped that the weight on his chest would evaporate with it. That didn't happen.

With sure steps, and an air of confidence that he wasn't really feeling. Oliver walked into his sister's latest fund-raiser. Their mother has another trial coming up soon and it was Thea's idea to throw this thing. She claimed that it would show their family in a better light. That it would help with their mom's case and maybe, just maybe, the people would start forgiving her. Oliver had nodded along to her words and assured her that she was right. He promised that their mother would be fine and that this event would accomplish whatever his sister wanted it to. Deep down, he recognized his own lies.

Oliver knew even as he walked in and had a swarm of people vying for his attention, that none of this meant anything. He knew that Thea could throw a hundred parties and raise millions of dollars to no avail. But still he showed up and made good on his word because Thea needed a rock and he had to be hers. His sister needed a father, a mother, a brother and a friend, and Oliver felt the obligation to be all of those things.

His eyes wandered around the room as someone talked to him. The words fell flat to his ears the way a distant noise does to a passerby and after a few minutes of nodding along, he made a quick excuse and moved to another part of the room.

As he passed by, people turned to greet him and he smiled at each one in turn. The smiles seemed to chip away at his heart and increase the dull ache he felt. It had been a while since he felt this way and he had all but forgotten what to do with the extra weight drooping his shoulders. The people's voices seemed muffled and the colors looked washed out.

If anyone stopped him to talk again, he'd have no choice but to comply and make small talk. The thought alone made his mind recoil. He needed space and a training mat. He needed a bow and an arrow to shoot at things. He needed a certain bottle-blonde.. but he knew he wouldn't be finding that one here.

_She'd probably be on another date with him. _He thought solemnly. The spark of anger not surprising him in the least. If he was being honest, he'd even admit that _that_ was another reason for the darkness, that he usually kept locked up, beckoning once again.

Anger, he had decided, was the easiest emotion to acknowledge. He knew very well that if he allowed himself to look for it, despair and hurt won't be too far off, and so he chose anger because it was the easiest to deal with. Anger could be taken out on lifting weights and various weapons. Anger could be dealt with through excessive training and a few nights in a row of being the Vigilante. Because that was Oliver's true identity; a vigilante.

Not a hero, not a CEO, and not a good brother. Hell, he wasn't even a good boss lately. He had been snapping at anyone who would so much as look his way. Felicity included -and he hated himself for that one- so no wonder she didn't answer their invitation for tonight.

Oliver had reached a small balcony by this point. It was in the upper level of the Queen's mansion and out of guests' way. He would have to head back at some point, but for now he allowed himself the breath of fresh air.

His head fell into his hands as his thoughts grew louder. His mother, Thea, the company, the vigilante and Felicity. Her name rang in his mind louder than all others.

What had he done with his chance with her? How had he allowed himself to go on for months hiding his feelings, hiding every smile, every lingering long until she was taken away from him?

He had promised himself that he would talk to her. He had recited the words times and times again until they became a mantra. Until he memorized them and imagined every outcome possible. And yet he had let her slip right out of his hand. Quite literally.

The night Barry Allen had asked Felicity out on a date, she had come to the lair with an air of restlessness. For the first couple of hours both Diggle and Oliver had written off her jittery movements to the task at hand, but when the mission was done and Felicity still looked like a lost child, Oliver had exchanged a silent glance with Diggle then walked up to his former IT girl.

"Felicity?" He had asked, the words escaping him a little more gently than he had planned. Something about seeing her that way softened him. It called for a part of him that he never knew existed. A part that wanted to comfort and soothe. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing? Nothing!" She winced at the false cheeriness of her own tone. Oliver stood silently, allowing her the time to think. "I mean... well, there's something but it's stupid.. like there's nothing really wrong and it's not even important but... well.." She shrugged helplessly then let out a sigh.

Oliver who had been standing threw another glance in Digg's direction then crouched by the girl's side. "Remember what I told you about talking about your day?" He whispered, too low for Diggle to hear. "I think that applies to this. Whatever this is."

"Alright," Felicity took a deep breath and threw Oliver a weird look. She hesitated a moment more before blurting out. "Someone asked me out."

Oliver's muscles froze.

"And he's not just any someone," Felicity's words tumbled out seeking freedom. She didn't stop to notice Oliver's jaw flexing. "He's this really decent guy... like really really good," Oliver didn't want to hear anymore. He regretted asking. "He's funny and really smart and nice and he gets me! I don't have to stop and rewind or try to think of the right thing to say, he's just perfect." _Good to know. _Oliver's bitterness came as a shock to him. "But.."

_But? _He perked up at the word. Maybe this wouldn't go the way he thought it would. Maybe that guy wasn't that "perfect" after all.

"But?" He kept the tremor from reaching his voice. Felicity was too far gone in her own head to notice, but Diggle was glancing worriedly at Oliver's clenched fists.

"But.. I don't know.. He asked and I couldn't say yes right away.. I mean I wanted to. I almost did.. but I just couldn't." She threw a nervous look at Diggle as if asking something silently then turned her glance to Oliver and she looked.. Hopeful, in a way. Oliver didn't understand the reason for that look or even the meaningful one Diggle sent him. "And, well, I told him to let me think, and he said yes because he's sweet that way, and now I have to decide if I want to or not?"

The last part sounded like a question to him and the hope in her eyes confused him. What was she waiting for? His blessing, his approval? Maybe she wanted support and a good friend's advice. Maybe she wanted Oliver to assure her that this guy is right for her and to tell her that she should just say yes, the way a good friend would. But Oliver wasn't a good friend. He wanted her to himself and he wanted to shout _NO_ at her.

_No don't go for the perfect guy who had the courage to ask you out. _He would say. _No. Just say no and wait for me a little longer. It's all falling apart and falling into place all at once and I need more time. Just a little more; to sort it all out and tell you what I've wanted all along. _

No, he wanted to say.

"You should give it a shot," was what came out of his mouth. The light in Felicity's eyes dimmed. "If he's good and if he makes you happy, then say yes." He was Thea's rock and his mom's last hope, so why should he stop there. He may as well twist the knife a little deeper and be Felicity Smoak's _friend_.

After all, no one deserved happiness as much as this remarkable girl did and Oliver couldn't give her that. He wasn't whole or good enough to love someone as bright as her, and god knew he was far from perfect.

"Oh," Felicity's smile looked disappointed, as if she was the one whose heart just shattered, not Oliver. Diggle's sharp look, thrown his way, only served to confuse him further. "Alright then, maybe I really should. I thought that... well, yes, I should. Why not." She sent him a little smile that contracted with the hurt in her eyes then got abruptly. "I should go call Barry, and do some.. um, things." She picked up her bag and waved at them both with a hasty "See you tomorrow."

"Damn it, Queen," Started Diggle angrily once she was gone. "I never thought that I'd say this to someone I work for, but you're either too blind or you have taken one hit too many to the head." At Oliver's blank expression, Diggle rubbed a hand down his face in obvious frustration. "I swore that I won't say anything or interfere in this but after this... I can see –" Diggle cut his sentence short and seemed to contemplate his words.

"Just spit it out." Oliver's anger flared. He felt frustration and hatred rising up in him. Frustration at Diggle's vagueness and hatred directed at himself. He should have said the truth instead of the right thing. He should have allowed himself the selfishness.

"You really couldn't see it, could you?" Muttered Digg. "You were too blinded by your own emotions to see hers." What the hell was that supposed to mean.. "You're really thick at times," Diggle noticed Oliver's gritted teeth and finally said it out loud. "_She wanted you to say no_."

Oliver looked out over the balcony's edge. There were still cars coming in and people in fancy dresses exiting them. The night seemed to stretch out as he thought of going back inside and the memory, although 3 months old, only helped to sink his mood further down.

Half an hour later found Oliver with another forced smile and an unfocused look. Diggle stood somewhere near the hall's entrance talking to someone. Oliver didn't see the person standing with Diggle but he had glimpsed his friend, as Diggle had arrived on guard duty, and planned on making an escape to go and talk to him.

Anything to give him a break from the constant smiling, since it only served to award him a headache.

A few moments later, Oliver made good on his plan and headed towards his friend who played "the bodyguard" for tonight. A few steps later, Oliver wished he had never moved from his previous spot. In fact he was tempted to run back yelling for his previous crowd to reassemble and start back on their mindless chatter. He'd even smile gladly at them.

Oliver debated a second longer then continued walking to the trio standing ahead of him. He didn't know how he had missed it before, but Felicity's blonde curls stood out among the sea of people and by her side, stood Barry Allen. Her boyfriend.

Oliver chocked down a groan. He wanted to hit something or shout at the man to leave his house. He wanted to ask Thea why the hell she had allowed Felicity a plus one, but most of all, he wanted to grab Felicity's hand out of Allen's and never let anyone touch her again. He figured none of those options were particularly appropriate at the moment, so he opted for putting on -what Felicity called- his diplomatic smile.

It said "I will tolerate you but only because I have to." He was happy with the message it sent.

"Mr. Queen," Diggle was the first to see him and, to Oliver's everlasting dismay, send him a warning look. "I was wondering when you would find us."

"Oliver!" Felicity smiled and that alone sent a mixture of emotions racing through him. He wanted to smile back. He wanted to turn around and walk away.

"Mr. Queen," Allen said in a polite tone. There was no love lost between the two of them. Allen seemed to understand what Oliver never said and proceeded to treat him respectfully but with no trace of false friendliness. Oliver almost liked him for that. Almost but not quite. "Thank you for inviting us."

"My pleasure." Oliver said just as politely. His voice sounding cold to his own ears. Felicity threw him a baffled look. She didn't seem to understand what her boyfriend did.

"Sooo.." Felicity started after a moment of uncomfortable silence. "_We_ were just telling Diggle about our plans for the weekend," by some miracle Felicity spared him the details. "And I know this's not the place and all but I was wondering, can I have the weekend off from... um, my _assisting _duty?"

All he had to do was to nod. Say yes.

"No." He said instead.

Diggle's head whipped to look at him and Felicity looked too shocked for words. To his surprise, Allen's lips twitched as if he had anticipated the response.

"Barry," Started Felicity sweetly but Oliver could hear the undertone of anger. "Would you please give us a minute?"

The guy gave Oliver a measuring look then nodded slowly. Once he was out of hearing range, Felicity whirled to Oliver with anger twisting her face. "Seriously, Oliver? The one time I ask you for something. The one time I want a day off and you just say no. Just like that! You don't even have the decency to look sorry or give an explanation. What was that about?" She demanded.

Diggle shifted uncomfortably then ushered both Oliver and Felicity outside the room and away from the curious onlookers. Oliver stood stoically in the hallways and watched as Diggle turned back and left them alone. Once the door they came through was shut again, the noise disappeared and they were enveloped in thick silence.

"I'm listening." Felicity crossed her arms and jutted her chin out, but Oliver had nothing to say to her. Not unless he wanted to give everything away. She waited for his answer and he had the fleeting thought that she looked beautiful even when angry. "Fine, you don't want to talk, so let me do the talking. You have been acting horrible to my boyfriend since the first time you met him. I didn't want to say it, I assumed you had your reasons or that he offended you without knowing but the thing is that he did not." She exclaimed. "He's been nothing but decent all along but you keep acting like a... like a.."

Felicity's eyes went wide and realization seemed to dawn on her. She bit down on her lip then shook her head as if to physically shake some thought away.

"Carry on," Oliver's voice was slightly above a whisper. "Tell me, Felicity Smoak, what am I acting like?"

"No." She shook her head, some of the anger returning. "You said I should give him a chance. You told me, when I talked to you, that I should say yes. So you have no reason to act this way when you don't even know him that well."

"Don't I?" Oliver moved closer, trapping Felicity between his body and the wall as she moved a step back. He hoped that Diggle had the sense to lock this door and open another one for the guests.

"Y... you don't.." She hesitated then laid out a hand over his chest to stop him from moving any closer. "You said -"

"I know what I said," Oliver replied bitterly. "I shouldn't have. I was trying to do what's best for you."

"What do you mean?" Oliver felt a mixture of hope and frustration. He saw these same feelings reflected back at him in Felicity's eyes.

"I mean that I should have never handed you over to another man," The words felt liberating. The weight he had been feeling for months lifted ever so slightly. "Not when I wanted you for myself." His hand now lay atop of hers, clasping it and keeping it close to his heart. He reckoned she could feel his wild heart beat.

"Why now, Oliver?" She squeezed her eyes shot. Her hand trembled under his. "Why after all this time when I'm finally moving on and trying to do something just for me.. you.. you don't have the right." He saw the tears in her eyes a moment before she pulled her hand away. Felicity hugged her arms to herself like someone trying to keep themselves together. As if she would fall apart otherwise. "You can't say this... I have a boyfriend... I... We can't."

Every word she said stabbed at his heart. The unshed tears made her eyes sparkle. She looked devastatingly beautiful and Oliver knew that he would fight anyone for her. That he would try to fix it all somehow if she would let him. But she won't. He knew her well enough to know that.

Felicity Smoak was too loyal to betray her boyfriend's trust that way. It was what Oliver loved most about her.

_Loved. _

Oliver took a step back with his face cast down. He swallowed past the lump in his throat and willed his eyes to clear. When he looked back up, his face had gained back its shuttered expression but his eyes held all the hurt he tried to hide. Felicity's hand twitched as if she wanted to comfort him. He took another step back and the distance between them seemed to stretch for miles.

"You can take this weekend off, and from now on, you can ask Diggle whenever you need time off and he'll tell me," He tried to hide how sad the idea made him but one look at Felicity's stricken expression and his facade came crumbling down. "I'll respect your privacy. I'll treat your boyfriend... well. And I still mean what I said about you being able to talk to me.." he tried for a light tone. "Just not about him." despite the serious words, Felicity's lips twitched ever so slightly.

"We'll act as if none of this happened." Oliver decided and Felicity nodded once. She looked as heartbroken as he felt.

"Oliver I -"

"Don't," He shook his head. "Diggle once warned me about this. He said that I'll break your heart one day and that he'll break my neck for it. I believed him on both accounts."

He felt tired to the bone. Confessions and heartache made a brilliant recipe for exhaustion.

"I always thought that I could break your heart... I just never imagined that you will break mine." Felicity's tears finally escaped but Oliver didn't stay to wipe those away. Those tears may be for him but Felicity wasn't. She wasn't his. And he realized with a jolt that she never had been.

With a last glance at Felicity's tear-stained face, Oliver Queen gathered what remained of his heart and walked away.

* * *

**A/N: Another one of my famous written-too-late-at-night-to-be-edited so pardon any mistakes. **

**I hope you liked the chapter and this is for all of you who wanted me to bring Barry Allen into my stories. I hope you're satisfied.**

**Poor Oliver.. tell me what you thought of the story and if you liked it. Do you think Felicity would at some point change her mind? **

**Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think. **

**Review!**


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